Abstract
Introduction: Despite recent advances in the treatment of coronary heart disease, a significant number of patients progressively develop heart failure. Reduction of infarct size after acute myocardial infarction and normalization of microvasculature in chronic myocardial ischemia could enhance cardiac survival.Areas covered: Induction of neovascularization using vascular growth factors has emerged as a promising novel approach for cardiac regeneration. Thymosin 4 (T4) might be a promising candidate for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. It has been characterized as a major G-actin-sequestering factor regulating cell motility, migration, and differentiation. During cardiac development, Thymosin 4 seems essential for vascularization of the myocardium. In the adult organism, Thymosin 4 has anti-inflammatory properties, increases myocyte and endothelial cell survival accompanied by differentiation of epicardial progenitor cells. In chronic myocardial ischemia, T4 overexpression enhances micro- and macrovasculature in the ischemic area and thereby improves myocardial function. A comparable effect is seen in diabetic and dyslipidemic pig ischemic hearts, suggesting an attractive therapeutic potential of adeno-associated virus encoding for T4 for patients with ischemic heart disease.Expert opinion: Induction of mature micro-vessels is a prerequisite for chronic myocardial ischemia and might be achieved via a long-term overexpression of Thymosin 4.
| Item Type: | Journal article |
|---|---|
| Faculties: | Medicine |
| Subjects: | 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health |
| ISSN: | 1471-2598 |
| Language: | English |
| Item ID: | 63470 |
| Date Deposited: | 19. Jul 2019 12:13 |
| Last Modified: | 04. Nov 2020 13:41 |
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