← Research Digest
30 Oct 2026 · Thymosin Alpha-1
Thymosin α1 in hepatitis B–related liver failure: better survival linked to immune rebalancing
Studied in
73 patients with hepatitis B–related acute-on-chronic liver failureDesign
Randomised, open-label; standard care with or without thymosin α1Evidence
A · Human RCTWhat was studied
Acute-on-chronic liver failure is a sudden, life-threatening worsening of long-standing liver disease. Patients received standard hospital care alone or with thymosin alpha-1, an immune-modulating peptide, and researchers tracked immune cell types and inflammatory signals in the blood.
What was found
Thymosin α1 significantly increased 90-day survival without a transplant. It was associated with fewer regulatory T cells at weeks 4 to 8 and a smaller late surge of inflammation, without blunting the early immune response.
What it doesn’t tell us
Everyone knew who received the peptide, the trial was small, and the immune findings are associations rather than proof of how it works. It concerns a specific hospital condition and says nothing about thymosin α1 use in healthy people.