Vg. Morozov et Vk. Khavinson, NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC THYMIC PEPTIDES AS THERAPEUTICS FOR IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION, International journal of immunopharmacology, 19(9-10), 1997, pp. 501-505
Natural thymic peptides have been isolated from calf thymus by mild ac
id extraction. Pharmaceutical containing natural peptides (Thymalin(R)
) was put into practice as immunocorrector. One of the immunomodulator
y molecules (L-Glu-L-Trp) has been isolated from Thymalin by reversed-
phase high performance liquid chromatography. Pharmaceutical containin
g this agent (Thymogen(R)) was designed on the base of synthesized dip
eptide. A novel immunomodulatory dipeptide was synthesized and termed
Vilon(R). Both natural and synthetic pharmaceuticals activated T-cell
differentiation, T-cell recognition of peptide-MHC complexes, induced
the changes in intracellular composition of cyclic nucleotides and cyt
okine [interleukin (IL-2), interferon (IFN)] excretion of blood lympho
cytes. Synthetic dipeptides activated neutrophil chemotaxis and phagoc
ytosis. They had no influence on antioxidant response in thymocytes in
comparison with natural peptides. Thymalin and Thymogen were used in
persons with chronic pathology and immune dysfunction. The results ind
icate that thymic peptides participate in the regulating mechanisms of
inflammatory processes as cytokine antagonists and show the differenc
e between natural and synthetic products. It is important for the drug
s designed to prevent immune dysfunction development. (C) 1998 Publish
ed by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the International Society for
Immunopharmacology.