{
  "abstract": "Background:: Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is a thymic peptide hormone secreted by the thymus gland with known immunomodulatory properties, yet its specific effects on human CD8⁺ T-cell function remain incompletely understood. This study investigates the influence of Tα1 on CD8⁺ T-cell proliferation, activation, cytokine secretion, and exhaustion status in vitro.\n\nMethods:: Human CD8⁺ T-cells were cultured and treated under four conditions: untreated (negative control), CD3/CD28 stimulation (positive control), Tα1 treatment, and combined CD3/CD28 + Tα1 stimulation. Proliferation was measured using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-based flow cytometry. Surface expression of activation markers (CD69, CD25, HLA-DR) and exhaustion markers (PD-1, TIM-3, LAG-3) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokine secretion (IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10) was assessed using a multiplex bead-based assay. T-cell exhaustion was induced by repeated CD3/CD28 stimulation before Tα1 treatment.\n\nResults:: Tα1 alone moderately increased proliferation and activation of CD8⁺ T-cells, while the combination of Tα1 and CD3/CD28 significantly enhanced the proliferation index and surface expression of CD69, CD25, and HLA-DR compared with individual treatments. Cytokine secretion of IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-10 was elevated in the combination group, indicating enhanced effector function. In the exhaustion model, CD8⁺ T-cells exhibited overexpression of PD-1, TIM-3, and LAG-3, which was significantly reduced upon Tα1 treatment, suggesting a partial reversal of the exhausted phenotype.\n\nConclusion:: Tα1 promotes functional activation of CD8⁺ T-cells and mitigates exhaustion marker expression following chronic stimulation. These findings suggest that Tα1 could potentially serve as a supportive agent in T-cell-based immunotherapies by enhancing activation and partially reversing exhaustion in vitro, warranting further in vivo validation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Maharashtra, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Bhatan, Post Somathne, Panvel, India.",
    "Amity University Maharashtra, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Bhatan, Post Somathne, Panvel, India.",
    "BioRadius Therapeutic Research Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Smriti Mishra"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Gaurang Telang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Anurag Sureshbabu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Samruddhi Kulkarni"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sagar Barage"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "A.W. Santosh Kumar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rajshri Singh"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0q3frd5e4k91d.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.31557/apjcp.2026.27.6.2089",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13726539/",
  "id": "0q3frd5e4k91d",
  "issns": [
    "1513-7368",
    "2476-762X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.31557/apjcp.2026.27.6.2089",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7165894991",
  "pdf_url": "https://journal.waocp.org/article_92226_c45c95c4c7d384380fd597361ee01201.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13726539",
  "pmid": "42345155",
  "published": "2026-06-19",
  "publisher": "Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0q3frd5e4k91d.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-05T12:22:51Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13726539",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.31557/apjcp.2026.27.6.2089"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Thymosin α1 Augments CD8⁺ T-Cell Activation and Reverses Exhaustion In Vitro",
  "title_text": "Thymosin α1 Augments CD8⁺ T-Cell Activation and Reverses Exhaustion In Vitro",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T12:22:27Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0q3frd5e4k91d",
  "venue": "Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention : APJCP",
  "versions": []
}