Role of thymosin beta4 in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis

Cha HJ, Jeong MJ, Kleinman HK · Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Tumours grew to 21.7 mm (95% CI 17.7–25.7) versus 13.3 mm (11.1–15.3) for control, p=0.036; metastatic lung nodules averaged 46.7 (35.0–57.7) versus 10.9 (6.2–15.6), p<0.001, a more than fourfold increase. Cell migration rose 2.3-fold and tumour vessel number 4.4-fold, with no effect on invasion, proliferation or MMP activity.

Population

C57BL/6 mice injected with B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells

Intervention

Adenoviral thymosin β4 overexpression in the tumour cells

Comparator

Empty-vector adenovirus

Limitations

Tβ4 was overexpressed continuously inside tumour cells by a virus, which is not the same exposure as circulating peptide in a person without a tumour; a single aggressive melanoma line.