What is "thymosin"

n. A polypeptide hormone, secreted by the thymus, that stimulates the development of T cells as part of the immune system

n. hormone secreted by the thymus; stimulates immunological activity of lymphoid tissue

Thymosins are small proteins present in many animal tissues. They are named thymosins because they were originally isolated from the thymus, but most are now known to be present in many other tissues. Thymosins have diverse biological activities, and two in particular, thymosins α and β, have potentially important uses in medicine, some of which have already progressed from the laboratory to the clinic. In relation to diseases, thymosins have been categorized as biological response modifiers.