Thymosin beta is a secreted 43 amino acid peptide that regulates the organization of the cytoskeleton . It binds to and sequesters actin monomers to inhibit polymerization .

Thymosin beta-4

Research on thymosin beta-4, an actin-binding peptide studied in tissue repair, cardiac injury models, and regenerative biology.

Also called Thymosin beta-4, TB-500, Tβ4

Sources: 12 new papers · 5 key papers · updated Oct 20, 2026

Overview

Unverified · drafted by AI from the sources cited below

Definition

Thymosin beta is a secreted 43 amino acid peptide that regulates the organization of the cytoskeleton.1

Treatment

Recombinant human thymosin beta 4 improves ischemic cardiac dysfunction in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.1 A 7-day treatment prevented cardiac dysfunction 28 days after surgery and reduced infarct size at 8 weeks in animal models.1 Furthermore, adjunctive treatment with ciprofloxacin reduces bacterial keratitis severity when started 24 hours after infection.2

Open questions

The precise roles and mechanisms of action of the peptide in processes like tumor metastasis and neurodegeneration remain largely unknown.1

Key papers

Cardiomyocytes stimulate angiogenesis after ischemic injury in a ZEB2-dependent manner

Nature Communications — Gladka M

112 citations · 2021 · among the most cited on Thymosin beta-4

Thymosin β4 increases cardiac cell proliferation, cell engraftment, and the reparative potency of human induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in a porcine model of acute myocardial infarction

Theranostics — Tan S

50 citations · 2021 · among the most cited on Thymosin beta-4

Thymosin β4 reverses phenotypic polarization of glial cells and cognitive impairment via negative regulation of NF-κB signaling axis in APP/PS1 mice

Journal of Neuroinflammation — Wang M

41 citations · 2021 · among the most cited on Thymosin beta-4

Thymosin β4 protects against aortic aneurysm via endocytic regulation of growth factor signaling

Journal of Clinical Investigation — Munshaw S

34 citations · 2021 · among the most cited on Thymosin beta-4

Thymosin β4 Is an Endogenous Iron Chelator and Molecular Switcher of Ferroptosis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences — Lachowicz J

32 citations · 2022 · among the most cited on Thymosin beta-4

How this page is built

A clinical question appears here only when its condition matches this topic, an outcome and a comparator were extracted from the studies, at least two studies and a patient count are on file, and the certainty is low or higher.

Supports benefit, no benefit shown, and mixed describe the direction of the measured effect. No benefit shown means the evidence does not support a benefit. It is not a finding of harm. Too little evidence means the question did not clear that bar.

Study count, RCT count, and patient count are separate. The patient total adds only studies that are linked into a study family and whose sample size is not flagged as implausible. A reversal is listed only when at least one randomized trial sits on each side of the change.

The overview is drafted from the guideline recommendations, trials, papers, and questions on this page, and every sentence has to cite one of them. It stays unverified until an NPI-verified clinician or a Synapse admin approves it. Approving records that person's name.