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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2025

5 results

Thymosin Beta-4 Modulates Cardiac Remodeling by Regulating ROCK1 Expression in Adult Mammals.

Maar K, Thatcher JE, Karpov E, Rendeki S, Gallyas F Jr, Bock-Marquette I

International journal of molecular sciences26 Apr 2025Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID40362372 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC12072014 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.3390/ijms26094131 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-40362372
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Summary

Although a myocardial infarction occurs roughly every minute in the U.S. alone, medical research has yet to unlock the key to fully enabling post-hypoxic myocardial regeneration. Thymosin beta-4 (TB4), a short, secreted peptide, was shown to possess a beneficial impact regarding myocardial cell survival, coronary re-growth and progenitor cell activation following myocardial infarction in adult mammals. It equally reduces scarring, however, the precise mechanisms through which the peptide assists this phenomenon have not been properly elucidated. Accordingly, the primary aim of our study was to identify novel molecular contributors responsible for the positive impact of TB4 during the remodeling processes of the infarcted heart. We performed miRNA profiling on adult mice hearts following permanent coronary ligation with or without systemic TB4 injection and searched for targets and novel mechanisms through which TB4 may mitigate pathological scarring in the heart. Our results revealed a significant increase in miR139-5p expression and identified ROCK1 as a potential target protein aligned. Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunostaining on adult mouse hearts and human cardiac cells revealed the peptide indirectly or directly modulates ROCK1 protein levels both in vivo and in vitro. We equally discovered TB4 may reverse or inhibit fibroblast/myofibroblast transformation and the potential downstream mechanisms by which TB4 alters cellular responses through ROCK1 are cell type specific. Given the beneficial effects of ROCK1 inhibition in various cardiac pathologies, we propose a potential utilization for TB4 as a ROCK1 inhibitor in the future.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study5

5 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In adult mice after coronary ligation, systemic TB4 injection significantly increased miR139-5p expression in the heart.

    In plain wordsIn mice after a heart attack, thymosin beta‑4 injection raised a small RNA molecule called miR139-5p in the heart.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    IncreasemiR139-5p expression in infarcted hearts
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    permanent coronary ligation
    Comparator
    No TB4 injection
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic injectionAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Our results revealed a significant increase in miR139-5p expression and identified ROCK1 as a potential target protein aligned.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    We performed miRNA profiling on adult mice hearts following permanent coronary ligation with or without systemic TB4 injection and searched for targets and novel mechanisms through which TB4 may mitigate pathological scarring in the heart.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In adult mice after coronary ligation, miRNA profiling with TB4 identified ROCK1 as a potential target protein.

    In plain wordsIn mice after a heart attack, thymosin beta‑4 treatment pointed to the protein ROCK1 as a possible target.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    Not applicableROCK1 identified as target
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    permanent coronary ligation
    Comparator
    No TB4 injection
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic injectionAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Our results revealed a significant increase in miR139-5p expression and identified ROCK1 as a potential target protein aligned.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    We performed miRNA profiling on adult mice hearts following permanent coronary ligation with or without systemic TB4 injection and searched for targets and novel mechanisms through which TB4 may mitigate pathological scarring in the heart.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In adult mouse hearts, TB4 indirectly or directly modulated ROCK1 protein levels in vivo.

    In plain wordsIn mouse hearts, thymosin beta‑4 changed ROCK1 protein levels, directly or indirectly.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    Not applicableROCK1 protein level in mouse hearts
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    permanent coronary ligation
    Comparator
    No TB4 injection
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic injectionAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunostaining on adult mouse hearts and human cardiac cells revealed the peptide indirectly or directly modulates ROCK1 protein levels both in vivo and in vitro.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    We performed miRNA profiling on adult mice hearts following permanent coronary ligation with or without systemic TB4 injection and searched for targets and novel mechanisms through which TB4 may mitigate pathological scarring in the heart.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    TB4 may reverse or inhibit fibroblast to myofibroblast transformation, as reported by the authors.

    In plain wordsThymosin beta‑4 may reverse or block the change of fibroblasts into scar-forming cells.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseFibroblast to myofibroblast transformation
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    permanent coronary ligation
    Comparator
    No TB4 injection
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated · systemic injectionAs given in this study (mouse).

    Source sentences

    Summary
    We equally discovered TB4 may reverse or inhibit fibroblast/myofibroblast transformation and the potential downstream mechanisms by which TB4 alters cellular responses through ROCK1 are cell type specific.
  5. 05LabIn vitro (cells)Mechanism

    In human cardiac cells, TB4 indirectly or directly modulated ROCK1 protein levels in vitro.

    In plain wordsIn human heart cells, thymosin beta‑4 changed ROCK1 protein levels, directly or indirectly.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    Not applicableROCK1 protein level in human cardiac cells
    Study

    humann: not reported in source

    human cardiac cells
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunostaining on adult mouse hearts and human cardiac cells revealed the peptide indirectly or directly modulates ROCK1 protein levels both in vivo and in vitro.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    13 Oct 2026, 01:52 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    12 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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