Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31555601›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in oncology2019

A Reappraisal of Thymosin Alpha1 in Cancer Therapy.

Claudio Costantini, Marina M Bellet, Marilena Pariano, Giorgia Renga, Claudia Stincardini, Allan L Goldstein, Enrico Garaci, Luigina Romani

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in oncology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. IL-15 Plus Thymosin α1 Reduces Senescent Hepatic CD8Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026
    Article
  5. Natural and Engineered Cytokines as Cancer Therapeutics.Annual review of cancer biology · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Claudio CostantiniDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Marina M BelletDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Marilena ParianoDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Giorgia RengaDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Claudia StincardiniDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Allan L GoldsteinDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Enrico GaraciUniversity San Raffaele and IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy.
Luigina RomaniDepartment of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
University of Perugia · ITGeorge Washington University · USIstituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Thymosin alpha1 (Tα1), an endogenous peptide first isolated from the thymic tissue in the mid-sixties, has gained considerable attention for its immunostimulatory activity that led to its application to diverse pathological conditions, including cancer. Studies in animal models and human patients have shown promising results in different types of malignancies, especially when Tα1 was used in combination with other chemo- and immune therapies. For this reason, the advancements in our knowledge on the adjuvant role of Tα1 have moved in parallel with the development of novel cancer therapies in a way that Tα1 was integrated to changing paradigms and protocols, and tested for increased efficacy and safety. Cancer immunotherapy has recently experienced a tremendous boost following the development and clinical application of immune checkpoint inhibitors. By unleashing the full potential of the adaptive immune response, checkpoint inhibitors were expected to be very effective against tumors, but it soon became clear that a widespread and successful application was not straightforward and shortcomings in efficacy and safety clearly emerged. This scenario led to the development of novel concepts in immunotherapy and the design of combination protocols to overcome these limitations, thus opening up novel opportunities for Tα1 application. Herein, we summarize in a historical perspective the use of Tα1 in cancer, with particular reference to melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and lung cancer. We will discuss the current limitations of checkpoint inhibitors in clinical practice and the mechanisms at the basis of a potential application of Tα1 in combination protocols.

Indexed as

checkpoint inhibitorscolitisdendritic cellsimmunotherapythymosin alpha1

Identifiers

PMID31555601
PMCPMC6742685
OpenAlexW2969768554

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.