REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (NYSE Amex:RGN) announced today that a university research team has published an article ahead of print in FASEB Journal, a high-impact scientific journal, describing novel biological properties of several Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) peptide fragments. The researchers summarize related published studies and report on their work showing that Tβ4 and these smaller peptides were able to block inflammation, reduce fibrosis, promote cell survival and block apoptosis, stimulate stem/progenitor cell differentiation, induce angiogenesis, and promote cell migration. Other activities include the induction of various genes encoded for important proteins involved in cell development (such as laminin-5, MMPs, TGF beta, zyxin, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, and angiogenesis-related proteins) and activate signaling pathways that influence cell and tissue survival (such as ILK/PINCH/Akt). The paper also describes the potential clinical use of these small peptides.
“These novel studies with Tβ4 fragments speak to the importance of understanding how wound healing, repair, tissue regeneration, and the inflammatory process may be regulated by different regions of the intact Tβ4 molecule. This is important because the results may provide specific functional targets for future therapeutic applications using different parts of the Tβ4 molecule and identify new opportunities, not only for ongoing clinical applications, but also for novel cosmeceutical applications as well,” stated Dr. Gabriel Sosne, the lead investigator.
“Dr. Sosne’s data are very exciting as they help us better understand what biological role certain fragments of this multi-faceted molecule play. Testing and understanding their activities may also allow us to achieve therapeutic benefits with smaller molecules, at potentially lower cost. Additionally, we believe we can utilize several of these smaller peptide fragments in new and advanced cosmeceutical products. This has been our strategy for some time and, thus, we have filed patent applications on these peptide fragments throughout the world,” commented J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx’s president and chief executive officer. The research team was led by Dr. Gabriel Sosne, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Anatomy/Cell Biology in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Sosne is a member of RegeneRx’s scientific advisory board. The EPub is available online FASEB J. 2010 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print] and will soon be followed in the printed journal.
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