The Use of Thymalin for Immunocorrection and Molecular Aspects of Biological Activity

The polypeptide drug thymalin is used for various diseases associated with immune dysfunction, viral and bacterial infections, regeneration normalization, immunodepression, and the depression of hematogenesis after chemical and radiotherapy. The molecular mechanism of the action of thymalin and its components, EW dipeptide (the drug thymogen), the dipeptide KE, and the tripeptide EDP, are analyzed. These short peptides regulate gene expression and the synthesis of heat-shock protein, cytokines, fibrinolysis, gerontogenes, and the differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis of cells. Thymalin and thymogen have practically no side effects and are used for various viral infections. These peptide drugs can likely be effective in the complex therapy for the coronavirus infection COVID-19.

Thymalin: Activation of Differentiation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Thymalin is a polypeptide complex isolated from the thymus and regulating the functions of the immune system. Thymalin is effective in therapy of acute respiratory syndrome, chronic obstructive bronchitis, and other immunopathology. Thymalin increases functional activity of T lymphocytes, but the targeted molecular mechanism of its biological activity requires further study. We studied the influence of thymalin on differentiation of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and expression of CD28 molecule involved in the implementation of antiviral immunity in COVID-19 infection. It was found that thymalin reduced the expression of CD44 (stem cell marker) and CD117 (molecule of the intermediate stage of HSC differentiation) by 2-3 times and increased the expression of CD28 (marker of mature T lymphocytes) by 6.8 times. This indirectly indicates that thymalin stimulated differentiation of CD117⁺ cells into mature CD28⁺T lymphocytes. It is known that in patients with severe COVID-19, the number of CD28⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺T lymphocytes in the blood decreased, which attested to a pronounced suppression of immunity. It is possible that the antiviral effect of thymalin consists in compensatory stimulation of HSC differentiation into CD28⁺T lymphocytes at the stage of immunity suppression in unfavorable course of viral infection. Thymalin can be considered as an immunoprotective peptide drug for the prevention of COVID-19.

[The influence of AEDG and KE peptides on mitochondries stain and L7A ribosomes protein expression during human pineal gland and thymus cell senescence in vitro.]

It was verified new molecular targets of geroprotective activity of AEDG (epitalon) and KE (vilon) peptides by the method of confocal laser scanning microscopy. It was shown that the MitoTracker Red mitochondries staining decreased and L7A ribosomal protein synthesis compensatory increased during pineal and thymic cell senescence in vitro. AEDG peptide increases in 1,5 times the square of MitoTracker Red mitochondries staining and decreases on 22% the expression of ribosomal protein L7A in cultures of human pineal gland cells during its senescence. KE peptide increases in 1,5 times the square of MitoTracker Red mitochondries staining and decreases on 15% the expression of ribosomal protein L7A in cultures of human thymic cells during its senescence. The square of MitoTracker Red mitochondries staining decreases and the expression of L7A ribosomal protein compensatory increases during pineal gland and thymic cells senescence. We can suppose that AEDG and KE peptides have a tissue-specific effect that normalizes the functions of mitochondria and ribosomes of pinealocytes and thymocytes.

[AEDG peptide regulates human circadian rhythms genes expression during pineal gland accelerated aging.]

Night work provides biorhythms desynchronization, disorder of melatonin-producing function and accelerated pineal gland aging. One of the promising geroprotectors restoring the pineal melatonin synthesis is the AEDG (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) peptide. AEDG peptide increases in 1,7 times the 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SOMT) excretion in the urine of middle-aged people. Moreover, AEDG peptide normalized circadian Clock and Csnk1e genes hyper expression in leukocytes in 1,9-2,1 times and increases the Cry2 gene hypo expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes in 2 times in people with reduced melatonin-producing epiphysis function. The geroprotective effect of the AEDG peptide is based on its ability to restore the epiphysis melatonin-producing function by means regulation of human circadian genes expression.

[Peculiarities of the professional sport occupation and risk of developing accelerated aging]

A study of professional occupational activity of the sportsmen and its effect on the risk of developing accelerated aging was conducted. Despite relatively small proportion of sport injuries and occupational diseases in the structure of morbidity (though sports are acknowledged as an occupation) it is a question of vital importance to study reasons for these injuries and diseases, and ways for their prevention and follow-up rehabilitation.

[The effect of the bioregulating therapy on the quality of life of elderly patients with retinal pathology]

Involutional eye diseases associated with a decrease of vision functions lead to the deterioration in quality of life of elderly people. Retinalamin application in the course of treatment for these diseases contributes to the increase in vision functions, and thus to the increase in quality of life.