Immunobiologic characteristics of hybrid proteins consisting of tumor necrosis factor alpha and thymosin alpha 1

: The preparations of alpha 1-thymosin (T), alpha-tumor necrotic factor (TNF) and their based hybrid proteins: T-TNF, TNF-T, and T-TNF-T were studied by using a wide spectrum of immunobiological tests. In the L-929 cells, T-TNF preserved cytotoxicity unique to TNF; TNF-T preserved it 10 times less, and T-NTF-T was completely inactive. TNF-T inhibited the growth of Molt-4, Jm-9, Raji cells by 63 = 84%, and TNF suppressed only Raji cells by 50%. Hybrid proteins caused cell proliferation of the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes; H-2K, CD4, and CD8 differently increased the expression of thymocytic antigens. The authors found the different effects of the drugs on phagocytosis, the production of antibody-forming cells, delayed reaction, and activation of natural killer cells. The protein T-TNF-T produced the most pronounced action.