Extract-form immune bioregulator; largest human dataset in the archive, all of it unblinded single-institution work. The BMJ TESTS trial (thymosin alpha-1, adjacent class) is the cautionary parallel.
Extract counterpart: Thymalin — calf thymus extract (registered RU drug). A thymus-extract cohort (266 elderly, 2–3 years treatment, 6–8 year follow-up) is the source of the reported 2–4x mortality reduction.
Extract vs synthetic gap: the human outcome data (including the
266-patient mortality cohort) was collected on extracts; vendors sell synthetic fragments.
No head-to-head trial exists — evidence does not transfer between them.
Details →
Khavinson studies (32 matched, 1982–2021)
Keyword-filtered from the 472-publication database (khavinson.info). EXTRACT/SYNTHETIC
tags are title-text heuristics — verification is on the reader. Full tag legend:
evidence-tiers.html
[11] [Ivko O.M., Drobintseva A.O., Leont’eva D.O., Kvetnoy I.M., Polyakova V.O., Linkova N.S. Influence of AEDG and KE Peptides on Mitochondrial Staining and the Expression of Ribosomal Protein L7A with Aging of the Human Pineal Gland and Thymus Cell In Vitro. // Advances in Gerontology. – 2021. – Vol. 11, No 3. – P. 261-267.](https://khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2021-ivko.pdf) DOI: 10.1134/S207905 (2021)untagDOI:10.1134/S2079057021030061[PDF]
[14] [Khavinson V.Kh., Linkova N.S., Chalisova N.I., Ivko O.M. The Use of Thymalin for Immunocorrection and Molecular Aspects of Biological Activity. // Biology Bulletin Reviews. – 2021. - Vol. 11, No 4. – P. 377-382.](https://khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2021-khavinson_linkova_chalisova.pdf) DOI: 10.1134/S2079086421040046 (2021)untagDOI:10.1134/S2079086421040046[PDF]
[20] [Kuznik B., Khavinson V., Shapovalov K., Linkova N., Lukyanov S., Smolyakov Yu., Tereshkov P., Shapovalov Yu., Konnov V., Tsybikov N. Peptide Drug Thymalin Regulates Immune Status in Severe COVID-19 Older Patients. // Advances in Gerontology. – 2021. – Vol. 11, No 4. – P. 368-376.](https://khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2021-kuznik_khavinson.pdf) DOI: 10.1134/S2079057021040068 (2021)synDOI:10.1134/S2079057021040068[PDF]
[28] [Khavinson V.Kh., Linkova N.S., Kvetnoy I.M., Polyakova V.O., Drobintseva A.O., Kvetnaia T.V., Ivko O.M. Thymalin: Activation of Differentiation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. – 2020. – Vol. 170, Iss. 1. – P. 118-122.](https://khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2020-khavinson_linkova_kvetnoy.pdf) DOI: 10.1007/s10517-020-05016-z (2020)untagDOI:10.1007/s10517-020-05016-z[PDF]
[30] [Shapovalov K.G., Kuznik B.I., Lukyanov S.A., Khavinson V.Kh., Smolyakov Y.N., Tereshkov P.K., Shapovalov Y.K., Konnov V.A., Magen E. Immunomodulation with Thymalin in the COVID-19 Related Cytokine Storm: Case Reports. // American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research. – 2020. – Vol. 10, Iss. 6. – P. 557-564.](https://khavinson.info/assets/files/skan/2020-shapovalov.pdf) DOI: 10.34297/AJBSR.202 (2020)untagDOI:10.34297/AJBSR.2020.10.001574[PDF]
[89] [Sevostianova N.N., Linkova N.S., Polyakova V.O., Chervyakova N.A., Kostylev A.V., Durnova A.O., Kvetnoy I.M., Abdulragimov R.I., Khavinson V.Kh. Immunomodulating Effects of Vilon and Its Analogue in the Culture of Human and Animal Thymus Cells. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (Cell Technologies in Biology and Medicine)_. -_ 2013\. - Vol. 154. N 4. - P. 562-565.](https://khavinson (n.d.)untag[PDF]
[102] Linkova N.S., Katanugina A.S., Khavinson V.Kh. Expression of AIF and CGRP Markers in Epiphysis and Thymus during Aging. // Advances in Gerontology. - 2012. - Vol. 2, N 3. - P. 230-233. (2012)untag[PDF]
[109] Khavinson V.Kh., Linkova N.S., Polyakova V.O., Dudkov A.V., Kvetnoy I.M. Age-Specific Dynamics of Human Thymus Immune Cell Differentiation. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine_. - 2011. - Vol. 151, N 5. - P. 631-633._ (2011)syn[PDF]
[117] Lin’kova N.S., Polyakova V.O., Trofimov A.V., Kvetnoy I.M., Khavinson V.Kh. Peptidergic Regulation of Thymocyte Differentiation, Proliferation, and Apoptosis during Aging of the Thymus. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2011. - Vol. 151, N 2. - P. 239-242. (2011)untag[PDF]
[119] Polyakova V.O., Linkova N.S., Kvetnoy I.M., Khavinson V.Kh. Functional Unity of the Thymus and Pineal Gland and Study of the Mechanisms of Aging. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2011. - Vol. 151, N 5. - P. 627-630. (2011)syn[PDF]
[143] Labunets I.F., Butenko G.M., Khavinson V.Kh. Effects of Bioactive Factors of the Pineal Gland on Thymus Function and Cell Composition of the Bone Marrow and Spleen in Mice of Different Age. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2004. - Vol. 137, N 5. - P. 620-622. (2004)untag
[144] [Labunets I.F., Butenko G.M., Magdich L.V., Korkushko O.V., Khavinson V.Kh., Shatilo V.B. Effect of Epithalamin on Circadian Relationship between the Endocrine Function of the Thymus and Melatonin-Producing Function of the Pineal Gland in Elderly People. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2004. - Vol. 137, N 5. - P. 617-619.](https://khavinson.info/downloads/2004-Labunets_Butenko_ (n.d.)syn
[146] [Raikhlin N.T., Bukaeva I.A., Smirnova E.A., Yarilin A.A., Sharova N.I., Mitneva M.M., Khavinson V.Kh., Polyakova V.O., Trofimov A.V., Kvetnoi I.M. Expression of Argyrophilic Proteins in the Nucleolar Organizer Regions of Human Thymocytes and Thymic Epitheliocytes under Conditions of Coculturing with Vilon and Epithalon Peptides. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2004. - Vol. 137 (n.d.)ext[PDF]
[153] Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. Peptides of pineal gland and thymus prolong human life. // Neuroendocrinology Letters. - 2003. - Vol. 24, N 3/4 - P. 233-240. (2003)untag[PDF]
[177] Khlystova Z.S., Kalinina I.I., Khavinson V.Kh. Thymic Hormones in Human Fetal Skin Epidermis. // Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine. - 2002. - Vol. 133, N 2. - P. 196-198. (2002)untag
[181] Anisimov V.N., Khavinson V.Kh., Mikhalski A.I., Yashin A.I. Effect of synthetic thymic and pineal peptides on biomarkers of ageing, survival and spontaneous tumour incidence in female CBA mice. // Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. - 2001. - Vol. 122, N 1. - P. 41-68. (2001)untag
[216] Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh. Natural and synthetic thymic peptides as therapeutics for immune dysfunction. // Int.J. Immunopharmacology. - 1997. - Vol. 19, N 9/10. - P 501-505. (1997)ext
[217] [Alexandrov V.A., Bespalov V.G., Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh., Anisimov V.N. Study of the post-natal effects of chemopreventive agents on ethylnitrosourea-induced transplacental carcinogenesis in rats. II. Influence of low-molecular-weight polypeptide factors from the thymus, pineal gland, bone marrow, anterior hypothalamus, brain cortex and brain white substance. // Carcinogenesis. - 1996. - Vol (n.d.)untag
[224] Anisimov V.N., Loktionov A.S., Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. Effect of low-molecular-weight factors of thymus and pineal gland on life span and spontaneous tumour development in female mice of different age. // Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. - 1989. - Vol. 49. - P. 245-257. (1989)syn
[225] Anisimov V.N., Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. Carcinogenesis and aging. IV. Effect of low-molecular-weight factors of thymus, pineal gland and anterior hypothalamus on immunity, tumor incidence and life span of C3H/Sn mice. // Mechanisms of Ageing and Development. - 1982. - Vol. 19. - P. 245-258. (1982)untag
[226] Pisarev O.A., Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh., Shataeva L.K., Samsonov G.V. Isolation, physico-chemical and biological properties of the immunity polypeptide bioregulator from thymus. // Chemistry of Peptides and Proteins. - Berlin, New York. - 1982. - Vol. 1. - P. 137-142. (1982)ext
[53] Khavinson V., Linkova N., Benberin V., Umnov R., Cherviakova N., Trofimova S. Peptides Slow Down Aging of the Brain and Thymus Cells. // The 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics. - Seoul, Korea. - 2013. - The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. - Vol. 17, Suppl. 1. - P. 538. (2013)untag
[141] Korkushko O., Khavinson V., Shatilo V. Peptide preparations from thymus and pineal gland may be used for slowing-down of accelerated human aging. // 3 rd European Congress of Biogerontology. The Biogerontological Basis of Preventive Medicine and Geriatric Practice. - Florence and Montecatini Terme, Italy. - Abstr.: Biogerontology. - 2002. - Vol. 3, Suppl. 1. - P. 65. (n.d.)ext
[174] Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G., Malinin V.V., Genkina O.V. Effect of thymic and epiphysial synthetic peptides on the processes of immuno- and histogenesis. // International J. on Immunorehabilitation. - 2000. - Vol. 2, N 3. - P. 103. (2000)syn
[182] Chalisova N.I., Khavinson V.Kh., Malinin V.V., Morozov V.G. The effect of thymus polypeptides on development of the rat thymus and spleen in organotypic tissue culture. // International Symposium dedicated to Academician I. Pavlov’s 150-anniversary “Mechanisms of adaptive behavior”. - St. Petersburg, Russia. - 1999. - P. 28. (n.d.)ext
[184] Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. Novel approaches to the prevention and treatment of age-associated pathology using peptide bioregulators - epithalamin and thymalin. // Abstr. of the Pan-American Congress on Gerontology and Geriatrics. - San Antonio, USA. - 1999. - P. 46. (1999)ext
[197] Khavinson V., Morozov V., Malinin V. Mechanism of action of pineal gland and thymus peptide bioregulators in the ageing process. // Abstr. of the 1st European Congress of Biogerontology. - Helsingor, Denmark. - 1998. - P. 61. (1998)ext
[205] Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. An application of thymus and epiphysis preparation for the age-related pathology prophylaxis. // Abstr. 16th Congress of the International Association of Gerontology. - Adelaide, South Australia. - 1997. - P. 212 (644). (1997)ext
[212] Morozov V., Khavinson V. Natural and synthetic thymic peptides as therapeutics for immune dysfunction. // Abstr.1st European conference on immunopharmacology Immunopharmacology. - Berlin, Germany. - 1997. - P. 78. (1997)syn
[219] Anisimov V.N., Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G. Twenty years of study on effects of the thymic peptide preparation thymalin in experimental gerontology and oncology. // Abstr. Sixth Congress for the International Association of Biomedical Gerontology. - Tokyo. - 1995. - P. 76. (1995)ext
[220] Khavinson V.Kh., Morozov V.G., Anisimov V.N. Twenty years of study on thymic peptides application in gerontology. // Abstr. III European Congress of Gerontology. - Amsterdam. - 1995. - 076.0414. (1995)untag
[224] Morozov V.G., Khavinson V.Kh. Immunogeroprotective effects of the synthetic thymic peptide - Thymogen. // 1st International Conference on immunorehabilitation “Rehabilitation of immune system”. - Abstr. - 1992. -P. 51. (1992)syn
Result: NULL. 23.4% vs 24.1% 28-day mortality, HR 0.99.
Significance: Largest properly blinded trial of any thymic peptide. Effect seen in smaller trials evaporated at scale. Cautionary parallel for Thymalin claims.
Reddit meta-scrape
1 dedicated experience post (r/17bnid9) + mentions in COVID/immune threads.
Positive reports
Immune support: user reported improved immune resilience during winter cycle (r/17bnid9).
COVID-19 case reports: Thymalin used in severe COVID cytokine storm (Russian clinical data + Reddit discussion of the case reports).
Neutral / no-effect
Most users stack Thymalin with other peptides — attribution is unclear.
Negative reports
No serious side effects reported. Injection site reactions only.
MEASURED vs VIBE: 0 measured. All reports are subjective ('feel healthier', 'fewer colds'). No user posted CD4/CD8/NK data.
Common protocol: 1-3mg/day SQ x 10-20 days, 1-3x/year (cyclic, matching Khavinson protocol). Some users run 10mg/day for 10 days.
Key takeaway: Immune claims are entirely subjective. No user has posted T-cell subset data before/after. The BMJ TESTS trial (n=1106, thymosin alpha-1, sepsis mortality NULL) is the most relevant cautionary parallel.