Thymosin alpha 1 suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through PTEN-mediated inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Guo Y, Chang H, Li J, Xu XY, Shen L, Yu ZB, Liu WC

Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death1 Aug 2015Cited by 51 (Europe PMC)

PMID26002438DOI10.1007/s10495-015-1138-9PepBankPUB-26002438

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study6

4 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

01LabIn vitro (cells)Mechanism
In human breast cancer cells, thymosin alpha‑1 growth inhibition correlated strongly with PTEN status.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells, how strongly thymosin alpha‑1 slowed growth depended on the cells' PTEN status.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
DecreaseTα1 growth inhibition by PTEN status
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
we found a strong correlation between PTEN status and Tα1-mediated growth inhibition of breast cancer cells.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
Report a problemFND-2600243801
02LabIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome
In human breast cancer cells, thymosin alpha‑1 enhanced PTEN expression, and growth inhibition was more pronounced in those cells.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells, thymosin alpha‑1 increased PTEN, and growth slowed more in those cells.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
IncreasePTEN expression
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
The growth inhibition effect was more pronounced in breast cancer cells in which Tα1 enhanced PTEN expression, whereas endogenous PTEN knockdown reversed the growth inhibition effect of Tα1 in breast cancer cells.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
Report a problemFND-2600243802
03LabIn vitro (cells)Mechanism
In human breast cancer cells, knockdown of endogenous PTEN reversed the growth inhibition effect of thymosin alpha‑1.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells, removing PTEN reversed the growth-slowing effect of thymosin alpha‑1.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
No significant changeTα1 growth inhibition after PTEN knockdown
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
whereas endogenous PTEN knockdown reversed the growth inhibition effect of Tα1 in breast cancer cells.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
Report a problemFND-2600243803
04LabIn vitro (cells)Mechanism
In human breast cancer cells, PTEN up-regulation induced by thymosin alpha‑1 inhibited activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, leading to growth inhibition.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells, thymosin alpha‑1 raised PTEN, which switched off a growth-promoting pathway and slowed growth.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
DecreasePI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Source sentences
Summary
PTEN up-regulation, which was induced by Tα1, can inhibit the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, leading to the growth inhibition of breast cancer cells.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
Report a problemFND-2600243804

Studies that did not test the peptide alone2

In this study, Thymosin alpha-1 was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Thymosin alpha-1.

05LabNot a test of Thymosin alpha-1 aloneIn vitro (cells)Efficacy outcome
In PTEN down-regulated human breast cancer cells, thymosin alpha‑1 combined with inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation strongly blocked cell viability.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells with low PTEN, thymosin alpha‑1 together with a pathway inhibitor strongly reduced cell viability.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
DecreaseCell viability with Tα1 plus PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Source sentences
Summary
The addition of the synergy between Tα1 and the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation could strongly block cell viability in PTEN down-regulated breast cancer cells.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
In this study, Thymosin alpha-1 was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin alpha-1.
Report a problemFND-2600243805
06LabNot a test of Thymosin alpha-1 aloneIn vitro (cells)Mechanism
In human breast cancer cells, PTEN-overexpressing cells treated with thymosin alpha‑1 up-regulated Bax, cleaved caspase-3/9 and PARP and down-regulated Bcl-2 compared with thymosin alpha‑1 alone.
In plain wordsIn breast cancer cells, extra PTEN with thymosin alpha‑1 increased cell-death markers more than thymosin alpha‑1 alone.
Peptide
Thymosin alpha-1
Outcome
MixedApoptosis markers in PTEN-overexpressing cells
Study
humann: not reported in source
Human breast cancer cells with wild-type or mutant PTEN
Comparator
Tα1 alone
Outcome group
Tumor growth · Cancer
Source sentences
Summary
PTEN-overexpressing cells not only up-regulated Bax and cleaved caspase-3/9 and PARP expression but also down-regulated Bcl-2 compared to the treatment with Tα1 alone.
1 context sentence(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1.
In this study, Thymosin alpha-1 was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin alpha-1.
Report a problemFND-2600243806

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 3Current
10 Oct 2026, 08:55 UTC
Study results updated
Version 2
9 Oct 2026, 03:03 UTC
Study data updated · source update from Europe PMC
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 03:02 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Thymosin alpha 1 suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through PTEN-mediated inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Summary

Results from this study6

Studies that did not test the peptide alone2

Version history

Subjects

Publication types

MeSH terms