RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. is reporting a new scientific publication describing Thymosin beta 4's (T4) potential as an anti-aging therapy. Using the heart as a model experimental system, a research team from Hungary and the United States summarized and expanded upon their previous results regarding Thymosin beta 4 (T4) to support their anti-aging hypothesis. They investigated the developmental expression of T4 in mouse embryos and determined the impact of the molecule in adult animals by systemically injecting the peptide following acute cardiac infarction (heart attack) compared to no myocardial injury.

Their research proved that T4 is expressed in the developing heart and promotes cardiac cell migration and survival. In adult animals, the peptide enhanced myocyte survival and improved cardiac function after coronary artery ligation (surgically blocking the artery to induce injury). Intravenous injections of T4 altered the structure of the adult epicardium (heart), and the changes resemble the characteristics of the embryo by increasing number of cardiac vessels and by the alteration of the gene expression profile typical of the embryonic state.

Finally, the researchers discovered T4 is capable of epicardial progenitor activation, and revealed the effect is independent of hypoxic injury.