Functional Ingredient for Children's Height Growth Also Shows Excellent Immune Benefits

Numed Research Results Announced
HT042, a Compound Containing Astragalus Extract,
Proven to Have Immune-Modulating Effects Beyond Height Growth

Cover image of the paper published in the SCI-level international journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Photo by Numed

A new study has found that HT042, a compound known as a functional ingredient for children's height growth and containing Astragalus extract, also has an excellent effect on immune recovery.

On June 20, a joint research team from Numed, a natural products R&D company, Kyung Hee University, and Gachon University College of Korean Medicine announced that animal experiments had demonstrated HT042's immune-modulating effects, restoring both innate and adaptive immunity. The study was published in the SCI-level international journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

HT042 is a compound natural product that, for the first time in Korea, was recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its "functional effect on children's height growth." It is composed of three medicinal herbs: Astragalus, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Phlomis umbrosa. It has been supplied to major health functional food brands for over 10 years.

In this study, the researchers administered HT042 orally to laboratory mice that had been given cyclophosphamide, an immunosuppressant, and analyzed its effect on immune function recovery. As a result, the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, which play a key role in innate immunity, recovered to 99.6% of normal levels, and the counts of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets also returned to normal. The expression of T cell-related genes, which are responsible for adaptive immunity, also increased significantly, indicating an enhancement of specific immune response functions.

In cell experiments, HT042 was found to increase macrophage activity and promote splenocyte proliferation, confirming its overall regulatory effect on the immune system. The research team stated, "HT042 can contribute to healthy immune recovery by comprehensively modulating the entire immune system."

This study scientifically demonstrated the potential of HT042 to improve immune function, and human clinical trials are currently underway. The industry expects that HT042, as a natural product-based immune supplement, has high potential for use not only in growing adolescents but also in the elderly, cancer patients, and those with chronic diseases.