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Researchers Find New Evidence of RegeneRx's TB4 Wound Healing Activities in the Eye; Data to be Reported at 2006 ARVO Meeting Researchers Find New Evidence of RegeneRx's TB4 Wound Healing Activities in the Eye; Data to be Reported at 2006 ARVO Meeting March 1, 2006 — Bethesda, Md RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:RGN) reported today that Thymosin beta 4 (TB4) will be the subject of three presentations at the 2006 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida next month. The abstracts of these studies are available at www.arvo.org. In the first reported study, researchers found that TB4 stimulates the production of MMP-1, an enzyme produced by human cornea epithelial cells that plays a key role in wound healing by promoting rapid epithelial cell migration, resulting in accelerated repair of injured tissues. The study was headed by P. Qiu, et. al., in the Department of Ophthalmology and Anatomy/Cell Biology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. In the second reported study, researchers found that TB4 exerts its anti-inflammatory properties by down-regulating NF-KBp65 and decreasing IL-8 expression. NF-KBp65 is an important signaling molecule that regulates gene activation. IL-8 is a protein expressed by injured and stressed cells that triggers the migration of white blood cells to the site of an injury, resulting in local inflammation and possible damage to the eye. These findings are consistent with previously reported data indicating that TB4 can down-regulate the inflammatory response when administered locally to the cornea. The study was headed by G. Sosne, et. al., at the Wayne State University and collaborators in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. In a third study, Taiwanese researchers reported that "TB4 is essential for its anti-apoptotic effect (prevention of programmed cell death) on human cornea epithelial cells" exposed to toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide. This conclusion confirms previous studies by Sosne, et. al., showing the anti-apoptotic effect of TB4 in the eye and those of D. Srivastava, et. al., showing TB4's anti-apoptotic effects in protecting cardiac tissue following a heart attack. The research was conducted by H. C.J. Ho, et. al., Department of Ophthalmology, Buddhist Tzu Chi Gen Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Republic of China. "These studies are very important as they add to the significant body of evidence indicating TB4's affect on ophthalmic wound healing. Knowing the biological mechanisms by which TB4 works will continue to help us identify the various clinical indications best suited for this molecule and its derivatives," stated Dr. Gabriel Sosne, assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit, Michigan. "As more work is done with TB4 we are finding additional important evidence of the relationship between TB4 and wound healing. In addition to the work presented at ARVO, Dr. Sosne reported last October that diabetic patients have a lower than normal amount of TB4 in their corneas compared to non-diabetics, and the National Institutes of Health previously reported that TB4 accelerated wound healing in diabetic animals. Diabetics typically have diminished wound healing capabilities. We also know that there is less TB4 in human tears as we age. Therefore, it seems quite plausible that the diminishment of TB4, due to aging or disease, may be overcome by administering TB4 to patients to repair injured or damaged tissue," stated J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx's president and CEO. Thymosin Beta 4 About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Safe Harbor Statement
For more information please visit RegeneRx's web site at www.regenerx.com SOURCE: RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. |
