生物谷报道：Thymosinβ4是一种已知能够减少心脏病之后肌肉细胞损失的蛋白，研究人员曾发现它能指导心脏来将自身治愈。最近一项研究发现，心脏最外层中的祖先细胞，可在thymosinβ4的引导下向里面运动，帮助修复成年实验鼠的有问题的心脏。这一结果发表在最新一期的《Nature》杂志上。
以前科学家认为，成年心脏中的细胞处于一种永久性的静止状态，任何能帮助心脏组织修复的祖先细胞都来自骨髓。Thymosinβ4诱发的血管形成和营养作用，也许能比现有方法更好地修复受损的成年心脏。
FIGURE 1. Tβ4 knockdown results in numerous cardiac defects.
Images of whole mount (a–c) and haematoxylin- and eosin-stained frontal sections (d–f) of control and severe T 4shNk and T 4shMlc hearts at E14.5, to demonstrate epicardial nodules indicated by black arrowheads (b), pale, displaced ventricles (c) and failure in compaction of the ventricles (e, f). ra, right atrium; rv, right ventricle; la, left atrium; lv, left ventricle; oft, outflow tract; ivs, interventricular septum.
原文出处：
Volume 445 Number 7124 January 11，2007
Thymosin 4 induces adult epicardial progenitor mobilization and neovascularization p177
Nicola Smart, Catherine A. Risebro, Athalie A. D. Melville, Kelvin Moses, Robert J. Schwartz, Kenneth R. Chien and Paul R. Riley
doi:10.1038/nature05383
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (2,575K) | Supplementary information
See also: Editor's summary
相关基因：
TMSB4X
Official Symbol: TMSB4X and Name: thymosin, beta 4, X-linked [Homo sapiens]
Other Aliases: FX, PTMB4, TB4X, TMSB4
Other Designations: prothymosin beta-4; thymosin beta-4; thymosin, beta 4; thymosin, beta 4, X chromosome
Chromosome: X; Location: Xq21.3-q22
MIM: 300159
GeneID: 7114
TMSB4Y
Official Symbol: TMSB4Y and Name: thymosin, beta 4, Y-linked [Homo sapiens]
Other Aliases: MGC26307, TB4Y
Other Designations: thymosin beta-4, Y isoform; thymosin, beta 4, Y chromosome
Chromosome: Y; Location: Yq11.221
MIM: 400017
GeneID: 9087
