This is a working overview of actin binding, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2026-01-28. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
TB-500 is a research peptide whose sequence matches residues 17 to 23 of thymosin beta-4, a 43-residue protein present in most mammalian cells. The chain is seven amino acids long, written as LKKTETQ, and is normally supplied with an acetyl group on the N-terminus. Suppliers list it as a lyophilised powder under the code name TB-500, and the same sequence appears elsewhere in catalogues as the thymosin beta-4 actin-binding fragment. The label is commercial rather than systematic, so no single authority fixes exactly what TB-500 denotes.
Thymosin beta-4 was isolated from calf thymus in the early 1980s and later characterised as an abundant intracellular actin-sequestering protein. Interest in short synthetic fragments grew once the actin-binding motif had been mapped to the middle of the sequence. TB-500 came out of that line of work as a truncated analogue rather than a natural isolate, and it is now sold mainly to laboratories. Published studies on the fragment have been largely in vitro or in animal models, and controlled human trials remain sparse, so claims about effects in people rest on extrapolation.
Literature and online discussion often conflate TB-500 with full-length thymosin beta-4, even though the two differ in size and are not interchangeable in analytical terms. The fragment is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis, and the product is a defined seven-residue chain rather than a biological extract. Because the term is a trade-style label, two vendors may supply materials of the same nominal sequence but different counter-ion content, purity, or water content. Comparisons across studies are therefore difficult unless the exact sequence and purity are reported.
Lyophilised peptide powders are hygroscopic, and the fragment absorbs atmospheric moisture when a vial is opened at room temperature. Weighing and aliquoting are normally done quickly in a dry environment, and stock solutions are divided into single-use portions before freezing. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided because they promote aggregation and can shift the measured content of a vial. These practices are general to synthetic peptides rather than unique to this sequence, but they matter more for short chains kept for long periods.
The seven-residue chain carries several polar and charged side chains, so it dissolves readily in water and in aqueous buffers near neutral pH. No cysteine is present, so disulphide formation is not a concern and reducing agents are unnecessary. Dilute ammonium hydroxide or acetonitrile-water mixtures are sometimes used for stock solutions when initial dissolution is slow. Strongly alkaline conditions and prolonged contact with oxidising agents are avoided because they can modify lysine-containing stretches, and haze in solution usually signals incomplete dissolution or aggregated material.
Identity and purity are checked with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which separates the target sequence from truncated or deletion analogues, and with mass spectrometry, which confirms the expected molecular mass. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping give orthogonal confirmation but are used less often outside specialist laboratories. Counter-ion content varies: material purified on trifluoroacetic acid gradients retains trifluoroacetate, and ion exchange can convert the salt form. Residual water and solvent are measured by Karl Fischer titration or thermogravimetric analysis, and any purity figure should be read together with the method used to obtain it.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Supplied as a lyophilised cake in sealed vials |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Polar and charged side chains dominate the sequence |
| Typical storage temperature | -20 °C or below | Dry and dark; a desiccant is often recommended |
| Identity confirmation | Mass spectrometry | Observed mass compared with the theoretical value |
| Common synonyms | Thymosin beta-4 fragment | Also written as T beta 4 fragment 17-23 |
Published research on the intact protein is substantial, covering actin regulation, cell migration, and wound models. Research using the heptapeptide fragment specifically is far smaller, and much of the circulating material originates in supplier documentation rather than peer-reviewed reports. Where fragment studies do exist, they often employ different sequences, chain lengths, or terminal modifications, which complicates direct comparison across papers. Readers encountering claims about TB-500 should therefore separate evidence about thymosin beta-4 from evidence about the fragment itself.
Discussion of the compound frequently appears alongside other short peptides described as fragments of larger proteins. That grouping is convenient but can be misleading, because fragment length, charge, and modification state determine how a peptide behaves in solution and in any experimental system. A seven-residue acetylated peptide and a full-length protein differ in mass by roughly an order of magnitude, and they cannot be assumed to share distribution or binding properties. Precision about which molecule is under discussion is the single most useful step when reading such material.
No major regulatory agency has approved TB-500 for therapeutic use, and it holds no pharmacopoeial monograph. The name appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list within the class covering peptide hormones, growth factors, and related substances. Detection in doping control relies on mass spectrometric methods applied to urine, often after preparation steps that concentrate the analyte. Discussion of TB-500 therefore clusters in biochemistry, sports medicine, and anti-doping literature rather than in registered clinical trials.
TB-500 is a synthetic peptide preparation marketed under a name derived from thymosin beta-4, a 43-residue actin-binding protein first isolated from thymus tissue. The full-length protein has a reported molecular mass near 4963 Da, while material sold as TB-500 is often described as a fragment containing the actin-binding motif LKKTETQ. Because suppliers use the name inconsistently, published sources sometimes refer to the same label as a fragment, a synthetic copy, or a related analog. This naming ambiguity complicates direct comparison of reports across studies.
Laboratory work on thymosin beta-4 describes binding to monomeric actin and effects on cell migration, angiogenesis, and inflammatory signaling in cultured cells. Animal models have examined skin, corneal, and cardiac repair after injury, with outcomes reported mainly in preclinical literature. Most of that evidence concerns the parent protein rather than preparations labelled TB-500, so extrapolation from animal findings to a specific commercial product remains uncertain. Whether the two behave identically in living systems has not been established in controlled human studies.
==== Oceania ==== In 1967, the first 99mTc procedures were carried out in Auckland, New Zealand. 99Mo was initially supplied by Amersham, UK, then by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Lucas Heights, Australia.
== Chart == A pink background means that the element is significantly radioactive. Bismuth is not highlighted because its radioactivity is considered negligible here. (Bismuth is stable enough to be used for the production of cosmetics.)
== Type == The Prima Porta-type of statues of Augustus, of which Augustus of Prima Porta is the most famous example, became the prevailing representational style for him. This type was introduced around 27 BC to visually express the title Augustus and was copied full-length and in busts in various versions throughout the empire up until his death in AD 14. The copies never showed Augustus looking older, however, but represented him as forever young, in line with the aims of his propaganda, i.e. to display the authority of the Roman emperors through conventional styles and stories of the culture. At its best, in Roland R. R. Smith's view, this "type achieves a sort [of] visual paradox that might be described as mature, ageless, and authoritative youthfulness".
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Afterwards, he reinforced this vision by implementing measures such as requiring ministers to declare their assets, limiting land applications to one piece per leader, discouraging conflicts of interest with public-listed companies, and advising against ostentation and visits to nightclubs. Mahathir further emphasized this vision by launching the "Leadership-by-Example" campaign in 1983 at Stadium Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, encouraging leaders and civil servants to uphold integrity, professionalism, and ethical behaviour in order to inspire public trust and ensure that national objectives were achieved through exemplary conduct. In 1983, Mahathir undertook one of the first challenges he had with Malaysia's royalty. The position of Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Malaysian head of state, was due to rotate into either the elderly Idris Shah II of Perak or the controversial Iskandar of Johor, who had only a few years earlier been convicted of manslaughter. Mahathir had grave reservations about the two Sultans, who were both activist rulers of their own states. Mahathir tried to pre-emptively limit the power that the new Agong could wield over his government. He introduced to parliament amendments to the Constitution to deem the Agong to assent to any bill that had not been assented within 15 days of passage by Parliament. The proposal removed the power to declare a state of emergency from the Agong and placed it with the prime minister.
== Forensic science and humanitarian work == The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) uses forensic science for humanitarian purposes to clarify the fate of missing persons after armed conflict, disasters or migration, and is one of the services related to Restoring Family Links and Missing Persons. Knowing what has happened to a missing relative can often make it easier to proceed with the grieving process and move on with life for families of missing persons. Forensic science is used by various other organizations to clarify the fate and whereabouts of persons who have gone missing. Examples include the NGO Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, working to clarify the fate of people who disappeared during the period of the 1976–1983 military dictatorship. The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) used forensic science to find missing persons, for example after the conflicts in the Balkans. Recognising the role of forensic science for humanitarian purposes, as well as the importance of forensic investigations in fulfilling the state's responsibilities to investigate human rights violations, a group of experts in the late-1980s devised a UN Manual on the Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, which became known as the Minnesota Protocol. This document was revised and re-published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2016.
The related pro-drug of didanosine, 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), was initially synthesized by Morris J. Robins (professor of Organic Chemistry at Brigham Young University) and R.K. Robins in 1964. Subsequently, Samuel Broder, Hiroaki Mitsuya, and Robert Yarchoan in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that ddA and ddI could inhibit HIV replication in the test tube and conducted initial clinical trials showing that didanosine had activity in patients infected with HIV. On behalf of the NCI, they were awarded patents on these activities. Since the NCI does not market products directly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a ten-year exclusive license to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) to market and sell ddI as Videx tablets. Didanosine became the second drug approved for the treatment of HIV infection in many other countries, including in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 9 October 1991. Its FDA approval helped bring down the price of zidovudine (ZDV, better known as AZT), the initial anti-HIV drug. Didanosine has weak acid stability and is easily damaged by stomach acid. Therefore, the original formula approved by the FDA used chewable tablets that included an antacid buffering compound to neutralize stomach acid. The chewable tablets were not only large and fragile, they also were foul-tasting and the buffering compound would cause diarrhea. Although the FDA had not approved the original formulation for once-a-day dosing it was possible for some people to take it that way.
In 1996, the US had about 2 deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles, compared to 1.9 in Germany, 2.6 in France, and 1.5 in the UK. In 1998, there were 3,421 fatal crashes in the UK, the fewest since 1926; in 2010, this number was further reduced to 1,857 and was attributed to the 2009–2010 scrappage scheme. The sizable traffic safety lead enjoyed by the US since the 1960s had narrowed significantly by 2002, with the US improvement percentages lagging in 16th place behind those of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland in terms of deaths per thousand vehicles, while in terms of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled, the US had dropped from first place to tenth place. Transportation safety in the United States is monitored by various agencies.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Rare decay modes === Spontaneous fission accounts for about 1.1×10−9% of thorium-232 decays, corresponding to a partial half-life of about 1.3×1021 years. Double beta decay to uranium-232 is also theoretically possible. A 2020 experimental search set lower half-life limits for such decays to excited states of uranium-232.
A study shows most extensively the neuro-molecular mechanics of how a fungal parasite affects behavior of insects. A study found that, of 70,000 monitored species, some 48% are experiencing population declines from human activity, whereas only 3% have increasing populations. By publishing virome-related results, researchers close a major gap in the accumulating research into centenarians' microbiome characteristics for life extension. 16 May – A software tool called Allegro is reported to accurately simulate 44 million atoms, running on the Perlmutter supercomputer. 17 May Astronomers confirm the existence of MACS1149-JD1 (JD1), one of the farthest known galaxies from Earth. Scientists report, based on genetic studies, a more complicated pathway of human evolution than previously understood. According to the studies, humans evolved from different places and times in Africa, instead of from a single location and period of time. The newly discovered exoplanet LP 791-18 d is theorised to be covered with volcanoes, due to the extreme gravitational pull of a super-Earth in the same system. A study proposes school curricula start including useful basic life support, noting that e.g. complemented video lessons could be effective. 18 May Astronomers map the paths of potentially hazardous asteroids for the next 1,000 years. At least 28 asteroids of 1 km diameter or larger are found to have non-zero probabilities of a 'deep encounter' with Earth. A study reports that more than 50% of freshwater lakes and reservoirs lost volume since 1992 due to human and climatic drivers.
=== Dynamics of surfactants at interfaces === The dynamics of surfactant adsorption is of great importance for practical applications such as in foaming, emulsifying or coating processes, where bubbles or drops are rapidly generated and need to be stabilized. The dynamics of absorption depend on the diffusion coefficient of the surfactant. As the interface is created, the adsorption is limited by the diffusion of the surfactant to the interface. In some cases, there can exist an energetic barrier to adsorption or desorption of the surfactant. If such a barrier limits the adsorption rate, the dynamics are said to be ‘kinetically limited'. Such energy barriers can be due to steric or electrostatic repulsions. The surface rheology of surfactant layers, including the elasticity and viscosity of the layer, play an important role in the stability of foams and emulsions.
== Angle formulas == If e, f, g and h are the tangent lengths from the vertices A, B, C and D respectively to the points where the incircle is tangent to the sides of a tangential quadrilateral ABCD, then the angles of the quadrilateral can be calculated from
=== Results === Cephalothin, a first generation cephalosporin for parenteral use was the first cephalosporin to become available for patients in the US in 1964. It was chosen for clinical trials from series of 7-ACA derivatives prepared at Eli Lilly. The second cephalosporin for parenteral use became available little later and was marketed in the US under the name Cephaloridine. The clinical successes of these two cephalosporins urged researchers to improve the pharmacological properties and develop more agents. Today we are left with thousands of semisynthesized analogues of natural cephalosporin compounds based on the knowledge gained by intensive research on the chemistry of those two starting materials.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
No. Thymosin beta-4 is a 43-residue protein, while TB-500 matches only residues 17 to 23 of that chain. The two are related but differ in size, and a method that identifies one does not automatically identify the other.
It corresponds to the actin-binding region of thymosin beta-4. Commercial synthesis reproduces that seven-residue stretch, usually with an acetyl group on the N-terminus.
It is not authorised as a medicine in the United States or the European Union and is distributed as a research chemical. Labels consequently carry research-use-only statements rather than clinical indications.
Divide it into single-use aliquots and hold them frozen at -20 °C or below, protected from light. Repeated thawing of one container is the main avoidable source of variability.