Reparative Outcomes in Corneal Infection: Linking Adjunctive Tβ4 Treatment to Nerve Regeneration and Visual Function.

Ebrahim AS, Liu L, Carion TW, Banga L, Alhasan G, Al Rashidi M, Zia M, Gorzen L, Sosne G, Berger EA

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science1 Jun 2026

PMID42283548PMCIDPMC13274770DOI10.1167/iovs.67.6.22PepBankPUB-42283548

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Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: CC BY-NC-ND. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study5

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone5

In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).

01AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, adjunctive Tβ4 plus ciprofloxacin markedly improved visual acuity compared with PBS, Tβ4 alone and ciprofloxacin alone.
In plain wordsIn mice with corneal infection, thymosin β4 plus ciprofloxacin improved vision more than PBS, thymosin β4 alone or ciprofloxacin alone.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseVisual acuity
Study
mousen: not reported in source
Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis
Comparator
PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy and ciprofloxacin monotherapy (pooled)
Outcome group
Vision and retina · Eye
Source sentences
Summary
Adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin treatment markedly improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and significantly enhanced corneal sensitivity and nerve regeneration compared with PBS, Tβ4, and ciprofloxacin monotherapies.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Bacterial keratitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by inoculating wounded corneas with Pseudomonas aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection strain 19660.
Summary · context
Topical treatments (PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy, ciprofloxacin monotherapy, adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin) were administered three times daily, starting 24 hours post infection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-4228354801
02AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, adjunctive Tβ4 plus ciprofloxacin markedly improved contrast sensitivity compared with PBS, Tβ4 alone and ciprofloxacin alone.
In plain wordsIn mice with corneal infection, thymosin β4 plus ciprofloxacin improved contrast sensitivity more than PBS, thymosin β4 alone or ciprofloxacin alone.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseContrast sensitivity
Study
mousen: not reported in source
Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis
Comparator
PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy and ciprofloxacin monotherapy (pooled)
Outcome group
Vision and retina · Eye
Source sentences
Summary
Adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin treatment markedly improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and significantly enhanced corneal sensitivity and nerve regeneration compared with PBS, Tβ4, and ciprofloxacin monotherapies.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Bacterial keratitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by inoculating wounded corneas with Pseudomonas aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection strain 19660.
Summary · context
Topical treatments (PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy, ciprofloxacin monotherapy, adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin) were administered three times daily, starting 24 hours post infection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-4228354802
03AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, adjunctive Tβ4 plus ciprofloxacin significantly enhanced corneal sensitivity compared with PBS, Tβ4 alone and ciprofloxacin alone.
In plain wordsIn mice with corneal infection, thymosin β4 plus ciprofloxacin improved corneal nerve function more than PBS, thymosin β4 alone or ciprofloxacin alone.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseCorneal sensitivity
Study
mousen: not reported in source
Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis
Comparator
PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy and ciprofloxacin monotherapy (pooled)
Outcome group
Vision and retina · Eye
Source sentences
Summary
Adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin treatment markedly improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and significantly enhanced corneal sensitivity and nerve regeneration compared with PBS, Tβ4, and ciprofloxacin monotherapies.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Bacterial keratitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by inoculating wounded corneas with Pseudomonas aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection strain 19660.
Summary · context
Topical treatments (PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy, ciprofloxacin monotherapy, adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin) were administered three times daily, starting 24 hours post infection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-4228354803
04AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, adjunctive Tβ4 plus ciprofloxacin significantly enhanced corneal nerve regeneration compared with PBS, Tβ4 alone and ciprofloxacin alone.
In plain wordsIn mice with corneal infection, thymosin β4 plus ciprofloxacin gave more corneal nerve regrowth than PBS, thymosin β4 alone or ciprofloxacin alone.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
IncreaseCorneal nerve regeneration
Study
mousen: not reported in source
Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis
Comparator
PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy and ciprofloxacin monotherapy (pooled)
Outcome group
Vision and retina · Eye
Source sentences
Summary
Adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin treatment markedly improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and significantly enhanced corneal sensitivity and nerve regeneration compared with PBS, Tβ4, and ciprofloxacin monotherapies.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Bacterial keratitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by inoculating wounded corneas with Pseudomonas aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection strain 19660.
Summary · context
Topical treatments (PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy, ciprofloxacin monotherapy, adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin) were administered three times daily, starting 24 hours post infection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-4228354804
05AnimalNot a test of Thymosin beta-4 (human) aloneAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome
In mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, combination Tβ4 plus ciprofloxacin therapy restored nerve density and architecture to levels comparable to uninfected controls.
In plain wordsIn mice with corneal infection, thymosin β4 plus ciprofloxacin brought corneal nerves back to levels like those of uninfected mice.
Peptide
Thymosin beta-4 (human)
Outcome
No significant changeCorneal nerve density and architecture
Study
mousen: not reported in source
Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis
Comparator
Uninfected controls
Outcome group
Vision and retina · Eye
Source sentences
Summary
Combination therapy restored nerve density and architecture to levels comparable to those in uninfected controls.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Bacterial keratitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by inoculating wounded corneas with Pseudomonas aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection strain 19660.
Summary · context
Topical treatments (PBS, Tβ4 monotherapy, ciprofloxacin monotherapy, adjunctive Tβ4 + ciprofloxacin) were administered three times daily, starting 24 hours post infection.
In this study, Thymosin beta-4 (human) was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Thymosin beta-4 (human).
Report a problemFND-4228354805

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.

Version 2Current
13 Oct 2026, 01:52 UTC
Study results updated
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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