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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · 2026

4 results

PEGylated thymosin β4 is a thiol-site-specific prodrug treating myocardial infarction in vivo.

Peng H, Chai Y, Gong C, Hao Y, Peng Y, Zhang W, Liu X, Tang S, Kong Q, Wang Q

Bioengineering & translational medicine31 Mar 2026

PMID42394899 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC13327619 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1002/btm2.70144 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-42394899
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Summary

Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) has been clinically trialed for over 10 years to treat ulcers, dry eye syndrome, and acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, as of now, no Tβ4 drug has been approved. Tβ4, as a small protein drug, has to face druggability challenges such as abundant supply, high purity, verified efficacy and safety, long half-life, and shelf-life. Here, a modified prokaryotic expression system was developed to express recombination Tβ4 (rTβ4), followed by single thiol-site-specific PEGylation of rTβ4, namely PEG-rTβ4 as a prodrug. The identification and thermodynamic properties of PEG-rTβ4 were tested with a matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometer, a differential scanning calorimeter, and a thermal gravimetric analyzer. The data showed the superiority of PEG-rTβ4 for treating MI. Long-circulating PEG-rTβ4 significantly relieves myocardial remodeling, restores cardiac function, promotes neoangiogenesis, and inhibits apoptosis via the Akt/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway. In summary, PEG-rTβ4 is a better choice for the drug development of this active protein.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

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

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In an in vivo myocardial infarction model, PEGylated recombinant Tβ4 significantly relieved myocardial remodeling.

    In plain wordsIn an animal model of heart attack, PEGylated Tβ4 reduced harmful remodeling of the heart muscle.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseMyocardial remodeling
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Long-circulating PEG-rTβ4 significantly relieves myocardial remodeling
    1 context sentence
    Title · context
    PEGylated thymosin β4 is a thiol-site-specific prodrug treating myocardial infarction in vivo.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In an in vivo myocardial infarction model, PEGylated recombinant Tβ4 restored cardiac function.

    In plain wordsIn an animal model of heart attack, PEGylated Tβ4 restored heart function.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    IncreaseCardiac function
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    restores cardiac function
    1 context sentence
    Title · context
    PEGylated thymosin β4 is a thiol-site-specific prodrug treating myocardial infarction in vivo.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In an in vivo myocardial infarction model, PEGylated recombinant Tβ4 promoted neoangiogenesis.

    In plain wordsIn an animal model of heart attack, PEGylated Tβ4 promoted new blood vessel growth.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    IncreaseNeoangiogenesis
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    promotes neoangiogenesis
    1 context sentence
    Title · context
    PEGylated thymosin β4 is a thiol-site-specific prodrug treating myocardial infarction in vivo.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In an in vivo myocardial infarction model, PEGylated recombinant Tβ4 inhibited apoptosis via the Akt/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway.

    In plain wordsIn an animal model of heart attack, PEGylated Tβ4 reduced cell death through the Akt/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseApoptosis via Akt/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Heart function · Cardiovascular
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    inhibits apoptosis via the Akt/Bcl-2/caspase-3 pathway.
    1 context sentence
    Title · context
    PEGylated thymosin β4 is a thiol-site-specific prodrug treating myocardial infarction in vivo.

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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