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Journal Context: Advances in Gerontology / PubMed | Identifiers: PMID: 14531237
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Principal Investigators: Khavinson, V. K., Morozov, V. G., & Anisimov, V. N. (St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, Russia)
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Methodology: A large-scale, long-term clinical human trial tracking 266 elderly individuals (ages 60–74 years and 75–89 years) presenting with age-related immune decline. Subjects were randomized to receive regular, intermittent cycles of intramuscular Thymalin injections or a matching placebo control, with a comprehensive follow-up tracking window spanning 6 consecutive years.
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Key Findings: Long-term administration of Thymalin produced a profound increase in survival velocity and physical healthspan. The active treatment cohorts experienced a $2$-to-$2.4$-fold decrease in the frequency of acute respiratory infections. Crucially, the 6-year mortality rate in the Thymalin-treated groups was statistically halved compared to the control arm. Blood panels confirmed that this life-extension effect directly correlated with a complete restoration of cellular immunity, marked by an absolute expansion of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte populations and optimized T-helper ratios.
