Thymogen
Also known as: Glutamyl-Tryptophan, gamma-glutamyl-tryptophan
Thymogen is a synthetic L-glutamyl-L-tryptophan dipeptide that acts as a thymic-peptide immunomodulator, promoting T-lymphocyte differentiation and peptide-MHC recognition, shifting IL-2 and interferon cytokine output, and enhancing neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis.
- Drug class
- Synthetic thymic-peptide immunomodulator (peptide bioregulator)
- Primary targets
- T-lymphocytes (differentiation, peptide-MHC recognition), Neutrophils (chemotaxis, phagocytosis), IL-2 and interferon cytokine signaling, Thymic / adaptive immune regulation
- Dose reference
- Russian product leaflet only (not a recommendation, not FDA-reviewed): ~100 mcg intramuscular once daily, roughly 300-1000 mcg per treatment course; intranasal spray ~25 mcg per metered dose. No validated dosing exists outside Russia.
- Half-life
- Not well characterized; as a small dipeptide it is expected to be rapidly hydrolyzed by serum and tissue peptidases (order of minutes). No reliable published human PK.
- Developer / origin
- V. G. Morozov and V. Kh. Khavinson (Saint Petersburg/Leningrad, Russia)
- Reference year
- 1990
- Evidence score
- 2/5 - Limited / preliminary
Limited / preliminary
Thymogen has a coherent proposed immunomodulatory mechanism plus rodent and Russian clinical support, but lacks an independent, controlled human RCT base; its closest Western-studied analog (SCV-07) had largely halted or unconvincing trials.
Mostly animal, ex vivo, cell, or indirect evidence.
Evidence basis
- Mechanistic studies (Morozov & Khavinson 1997) describing T-cell differentiation, peptide-MHC recognition, IL-2/IFN modulation and neutrophil activation
- Single rodent lifespan/carcinogenesis study (Anisimov et al., Biogerontology 2000) using subcutaneous 5 mcg/rat dosing
- Decades of Russian clinical use for secondary immunodeficiency, predating modern RCT reporting standards
- Trials of the related but chemically distinct analog SCV-07/golotimod (HCV, TB, HSV-2, oral mucositis), including a phase 2b mucositis program (NCT01247246) discontinued for lack of efficacy
- No robust independent placebo-controlled human RCT data and no reliable published human pharmacokinetics for Thymogen itself
Key references
- PubMedNatural and synthetic thymic peptides as therapeutics for immune dysfunction (Morozov & Khavinson, 1997)
- PubMedImmunomodulatory synthetic dipeptide L-Glu-L-Trp slows down aging and inhibits spontaneous carcinogenesis in rats (Anisimov et al., 2000)
- PubMedAn immunomodulating dipeptide, SCV-07, is a potential therapeutic for recurrent genital HSV-2 (2008)
- ClinicalTrials.govSCV-07 oral mucositis phase 2b study (NCT01247246)
How to read this entry
Dose references and half-life values are pulled from trial protocols, labels, reviews, or published summaries where available. They are context for research and comparison, not a personal dosing recommendation.
Status matters: approved drugs have regulated indications; investigational compounds are still being studied; research-only peptides do not have established human dosing, safety, or efficacy for consumer use.
Thymogen guides
Read the matching guide or adjacent research pages for more context.
Peptide calculators
Use calculators for concentration, unit conversion and repeated-dose accumulation math.
Compare with related peptides
Stay inside the same research category and compare mechanism, status and evidence quality.
GHK-Cu
Copper tripeptide-1
Naturally occurring tripeptide bound to copper. Studied for wound healing, skin remodeling and gene-expression effects related to tissue repair.
Humanin
HN, MTRNR2
Humanin is a 24-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide that limits stress-induced apoptosis by binding pro-apoptotic proteins (BAX, Bid/Bim) and IGFBP-3 intracellularly and by signaling extracellularly through FPR2/FPRL1 and the CNTFR/WSX-1/gp130 complex to activate JAK2/STAT3, ERK1/2 and AKT survival pathways.
Thymalin
thymus polypeptide fraction
Thymalin is a calf-thymus polypeptide complex proposed to act as an immunomodulator that promotes T-lymphocyte differentiation and maturation and normalizes cytokine and immune-cell balance, though its precise molecular receptor or target remains undefined.
Vesugen
Lys-Glu-Asp tripeptide
Vesugen (Lys-Glu-Asp) is proposed to enter the cell nucleus and bind DNA and histones in gene promoter regions, modulating expression of vascular, senescence and neurogenesis genes rather than acting as a classical receptor agonist.
Category hub
Open the category page for the full comparison table and FAQ.