Generation of a novel long-acting thymosin alpha1-Fc fusion protein and its efficacy for the inhibition of breast cancer in vivo.

Thymosin alpha1 (Tα1) is a multifunctional polypeptide involved in immunoregulation, which universally exists in various organs. The clinical application, however, is limited because of its short half-life. The Fc domain of human IgG has functional properties, improving the affinity and serum half-life. In this study, we fused Tα1 to Fc domain of human IgG1 for generation of a novel long-acting fusion protein, termed Tα1-Fc. Tα1-Fc was expressed, purified, and identified. The results showed that Tα1-Fc was more potent than Tα1 in inhibiting the growth of 4T1 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vivo. Furthermore, in the 4T1 tumor model the mice treated with Tα1-Fc exhibited higher level of CD4 and CD8 cells compared with that of the mice Tα1 treated. The interferon-γ and interleukin-2 level in the Tα1-Fc-treated mice was higher than that in the Tα1-treated mice. Tα1-Fc could also alleviate immunosuppression induced by hydrocortisone. In summary, Tα1-Fc provides a novel potent strategy to recruit immune cells against tumors and enhance the antitumor activity of Tα1.