Thymosin β4 exhibits potential as new therapeutic agent for liver failure due to chronic HBV infection

REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (NYSE Amex:RGN) announced today that researchers have correlated Tβ4 levels with the clinical course of patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver failure. It was reported that serum thymosin β4 levels were significantly lower in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and that the magnitude of the reduction of thymosin β4 was closely related to the severity of the hepatic injury and to patient death. Since patients with higher Tβ4 levels survived the disease, changes in Tβ4 values could reflect outcome in some liver failure patients.

“The study demonstrated that the thymosin β4 level was significantly lowered in liver failure patients, suggesting that thymosin β4 might become a new therapeutic agent for liver failure caused by chronic HBV infection”

Moreover, liver failure is a systemic inflammatory reaction, causing severe deterioration in liver function, according to the research team. Liver failure occurs when the extent of hepatocyte (liver cells) death exceeds the liver’s regenerating capacity and recent findings have shown that Tβ4 regulates certain molecules that play a role in preventing hepatic cell death and promoting hepatic regeneration. Liver regeneration is considered to be suppressed in liver failure. “The study demonstrated that the thymosin β4 level was significantly lowered in liver failure patients, suggesting that thymosin β4 might become a new therapeutic agent for liver failure caused by chronic HBV infection,” concluded the research team.

“This study is particularly important as it confirms and extends, in humans, data published (Annals. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2007:1112:154-160) by Dr. Marcos Rojkind and his colleagues at The George Washington University Medical Center showing that Tβ4 up-regulates certain molecules known to play key roles in stimulating liver regeneration. It also strongly suggests that observing low levels of circulating Tβ4 in the blood may be a useful early warning signal to identify HBV patients, and perhaps patients with HCV infection, cirrhosis of the liver or other liver diseases, who are heading into liver failure,” stated Dr. Allan L. Goldstein, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine, and chief scientific advisor to RegeneRx.