Thymosin beta 4 reduces brain tissue damage, improves brain function in rats: Research paper

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex:RGN) announced today that in a preclinical research paper published in the May 2010 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, (online ahead of publication), scientists found that the systemic administration of thymosin beta 4, or Tβ4, significantly reduced brain tissue damage and improved brain function in rats with traumatic brain injury, or TBI. In the study, 10 rats were injected with Tβ4 one day following the inducement of TBI and four times thereafter over a 12-day period, while 9 rats were injected with a placebo or saline solution. In the group of rats treated with Tβ4, researchers observed reduced cell loss in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays an important role in long-term memory, as compared to the placebo group. The rats treated with Tβ4 also experienced growth of new blood vessels and neurons in the injured cerebral cortex, growth of brain cells known as oligodendrocytes in the CA3 field of the hippocampus, and recovery of sensory and motor functions as well as spatial learning. The researchers noted that the data for the first time demonstrate that delayed administration of Tβ4 significantly improves histological and functional outcomes in rats with TBI, indicating that Tβ4 has considerable therapeutic potential for patients with TBI.

“We believe these results are very encouraging. The fact that Tβ4 was administered beginning one day following injury and was still able to improve outcomes is significant”

"We believe these results are very encouraging. The fact that Tβ4 was administered beginning one day following injury and was still able to improve outcomes is significant," added Dr. Allan L. Goldstein, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the George Washington University Medical School, and chairman of the board of directors and chief scientific advisor for RegeneRx. "We have now seen compelling data using Tβ4 in three different animal models — an EAE mouse model for multiple sclerosis, a rat model for embolic stroke, and this new study in traumatic brain injury — that have each demonstrated Tβ4's ability to promote angiogenesis, regenerate neuronal tissue, and improve functional outcome. These data are also consistent with previously published studies showing regeneration of heart tissue after ischemic injuries to the myocardium."