Thymosin beta4 activates integrin-linked kinase and promotes cardiac cell migration, survival and cardiac repair

Key finding

Thymosin beta-4 forms a complex with PINCH and integrin-linked kinase (ILK), activating Akt; after coronary ligation in mice it enhanced cardiomyocyte survival and improved cardiac function — defining its cardioprotective repair mechanism.

Method / model

Embryonic/postnatal cardiomyocyte culture + mouse MI model.

Relevance

Foundational repair mechanism for TB-500/Thymosin beta-4.

Bock-Marquette, I., et al. (2004). Thymosin beta4 activates integrin-linked kinase and promotes cardiac cell migration, survival and cardiac repair. Nature, 432(7016), 466-472.