Thymogen

Overview

Thymogen (also marketed as Thymagen) is a synthetic dipeptide, L-Glu-L-Trp (Glu-Trp), originally isolated by the Khavinson group from the calf-thymus polypeptide complex Thymalin and then synthesized. It is registered as a pharmaceutical in Russia for immunocorrection (nasal drops / IM injection). Not FDA-approved in the US; research-use only.

Mechanism of Action

Proposed to activate T-cell differentiation and MHC-peptide recognition, modulate intracellular cyclic nucleotides, and enhance neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis. Mechanistic claims come primarily from the Khavinson group and Russian immunology literature.

Research Summary

Evidence base is single-lab (Khavinson and collaborators). A 12-month rat study (Anisimov, Khavinson, Morozov, Biogerontology 2000) reported extended maximum lifespan and reduced spontaneous tumor incidence. Russian clinical reports claim benefit in acute/chronic respiratory infections and post-surgical immunodeficiency; these have not been independently reproduced in Western RCTs.

Dosing Information

Reported Side Effects

• Mild injection site irritation
• Rare hypersensitivity

Research References

• Anisimov, Khavinson, Morozov — Immunomodulatory synthetic dipeptide L-Glu-L-Trp slows down aging and inhibits spontaneous carcinogenesis in rats (Biogerontology) (2000)
• Khavinson et al. — The Use of Thymalin for Immunocorrection and Molecular Aspects of Biological Activity (includes Glu-Trp / Thymogen, Biol Bull Rev) (2021)
• Khavinson, Kuznik, Ryzhak — Peptide bioregulators: clinical studies results (covers Thymogen/Timogen, Adv Gerontol, Russian) (2013)