Muscle injury-induced thymosin β4 acts as a chemoattractant for myoblasts

Tokura Y, Nakayama Y, Fukada S, Nara N, Yamamoto H, Matsuda R, Hara T · Journal of Biochemistry

Tβ4 message rose early in regenerating muscle fibres and infiltrating cells, and both Tβ4 and its sulphoxide accelerated in-vitro wound closure and drew myoblasts chemotactically — endogenous Tβ4 behaves as a local recruitment signal after muscle injury.

Population

Regenerating mouse skeletal muscle; C2C12 myoblasts and primary satellite-cell-derived myoblasts

Intervention

Thymosin β4 and its sulphoxide form

Comparator

Untreated cultures

Limitations

Expression plus culture chemotaxis; no functional muscle outcome in a living animal.