Fifteen years of prothymosin alpha: contradictory past and new horizons

Retrovirus-mediated transfer of prothymosin gene inhibits tumor growth and prolongs survival in murine bladder cancer

“…The immunomodulatory activities of ProT in vitro and in animal models have been described. 6 A phase II clinical trial in patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer showed that combined treatment with thymosin α1 and low-dose interferon-α after ifosfamide chemotherapy enhanced response rate and reduced hematologic toxicity compared with chemotherapy alone. 7 It has been shown that ProT was equally effective in stimulating the chemotactic activity of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) from tumor patients and healthy donors.…”

Characterization of two thymosins as immune-related genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

“…ProTα is widely distributed and highly conserved in mammalian tissues and cells (Pineiro et al, 2000). More than 10,000 copies per cell of ProTα are found in kidney, liver, spleen, normal lymphocytes (predominantly T cells), human T-cell leukemia virus-infected T cells and myeloma cells (B-cell lineage) (Eschenfeldt and Berger, 1986).…”

Prothymosin-α1 prevents necrosis and apoptosis following stroke

“…Dear Editor, Prothymosin-a1 (ProTa), a highly acidic nuclear protein of the a-thymosin family, has multiple functions both within and outside of the cell. 1 ProTa plays a cytoprotective role by inhibiting apoptosome formation, 2 and it has cell proliferative activity as an extracellular signaling molecule. 1 Recently, we found that ProTa is released upon necrotic stress and protects cells from neuronal death through activation of a putative G i/o -coupled receptor coupled to phospholipase C and protein kinase Cb II .…”

“…1 ProTa plays a cytoprotective role by inhibiting apoptosome formation, 2 and it has cell proliferative activity as an extracellular signaling molecule. 1 Recently, we found that ProTa is released upon necrotic stress and protects cells from neuronal death through activation of a putative G i/o -coupled receptor coupled to phospholipase C and protein kinase Cb II . 3 Letters to the Editor Results represent the incidence of activated caspase 3 (green) and PI staining (red).…”

“…However, recently it has been revealed that treatment of erythrocytes with the Ca 2 þ ionophore ionomycin, 1 or their exposure to oxidative or osmotic stress, 2 situations that mimic red blood cell aging, leads to cell shrinkage, cell membrane blebbing and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, all typical features of apoptosis in other cell types. As macrophages are equipped with receptors recognizing PS, erythrocytes exposing PS at their cell surface will be rapidly recognized, engulfed and degraded.…”