Immune & antimicrobial
Host-defence, thymic and anti-inflammatory peptides.
| Compound | Research area | Residues | Highest evidence | Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KPV | Immune & antimicrobial | 3 | Preclinical (animal and cell studies) | KPV–OH |
| Larazotide | Immune & antimicrobial | 8 | Late-stage clinical trials | GGVLVQPG–OH |
| LL-37 | Immune & antimicrobial | 37 | Early clinical studies | 37 residues |
| Thymalin | Immune & antimicrobial | see entry | Early clinical studies | |
| Thymosin α1 | Immune & antimicrobial | 28 | Approved drug | Ac–SDAAVDTSSEITTKDLKEKKEVVEEAEN–OH |
| VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) | Immune & antimicrobial | 28 | Late-stage clinical trials | HSDAVFTDNYTRLRKQMAVKKYLNSILN–NH₂ |
- KPV
KPV is the tripeptide lysine-proline-valine, the C-terminal sequence of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. It is studied for anti-inflammatory effects in cell and rodent models, particularly of intestinal inflammation, and is not approved for any use.
- Larazotide
Larazotide is a synthetic eight-amino-acid peptide studied as an oral regulator of intestinal tight junctions. It reached phase 3 testing in celiac disease but is not approved for any use.
- LL-37
LL-37 is the 37-amino-acid antimicrobial peptide released from human cathelicidin hCAP18. It is studied for direct antimicrobial activity and immune-modulating effects in cell, animal and early human studies, and is not approved for any use.
- Thymalin
Thymalin is a polypeptide complex extracted from calf thymus, developed in the Soviet Union by the group of Vladimir Khavinson and Vyacheslav Morozov. It has been studied in immune-function models and Russian clinical reports and is not approved by the FDA.
- Thymosin α1
Thymosin α1 is a 28-amino-acid N-acetylated peptide derived from prothymosin α. Its synthetic form, thymalfasin (Zadaxin), is approved in several countries outside the US and has been studied as an immune modulator in clinical trials.
- VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide)
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide of the secretin-glucagon family that acts on VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors. It regulates smooth muscle, secretion and immune function, and synthetic VIP (aviptadil) has been studied clinically.
Comparisons in this area
- Thymosin α1 vs thymosin β4
Thymosin α1 and thymosin β4 share a name because both were first isolated from the same thymus extract, but they are unrelated in sequence, origin and function. This page compares their structures, biology, evidence base, regulatory status and analytical concerns.