0.1% RGN-259 (Thymosin ß4) Ophthalmic Solution Promotes Healing and Improves Comfort in Neurotrophic Keratopathy Patients in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Masked Phase III Clinical Trial.

We determined the efficacy and safety of 0.1% RGN-259 ophthalmic solution (containing the regenerative protein thymosin ß4) in promoting the healing of persistent epithelial defects in patients with Stages 2 and 3 neurotrophic keratopathy. Complete healing occurred after 4 weeks in 6 of the 10 RGN-259-treated subjects and in 1 of the 8 placebo-treated subjects ( = 0.

Thymosin β4 and the anti-fibrotic switch.

Wound healing involves a rapid response to the injury by circulating cells, followed by inflammation with an influx of inflammatory cells that release various factors. Soon after, cellular proliferation begins to replace the damaged cells and extracellular matrix, and then tissue remodeling restores normal tissue function. Various factors can lead to pathological wound healing when excessive and irreversible connective tissue/extracellular matrix deposition occurs, resulting in fibrosis.

Hematogenous metastasis and tumor dormancy as concepts or dogma? The continuum of vessel co-option and angiotropic extravascular migratory metastasis as an alternative.

It has been accepted for many years that tumor cells spread the circulation to distant sites. The latency period between treatment and tumor recurrence has been attributed to dormant cells in distant organs that emerge and grow as metastatic tumors. These processes are accepted with an incomplete demonstration of their existence.

Monitoring Angiotropic Extravascular Migratory Metastasis In Vitro.

The mechanism of cancer cell migration from the primary tumor toward secondary sites is not fully understood. In addition to intravascular cellular migration, angiotropic extravascular migratory metastasis (EVMM) has been recognized as a metastatic pathway involving tumor cells crawling along the abluminal vascular surface to distant sites. A very simple in vitro 3D assay is described here, which is based on a previous in vitro angiogenesis assay.

Matrigel: history/background, uses, and future applications.

Basement membranes are thin sheets of extracellular matrix with many diverse roles in the body. Those in normal tissue are also highly insoluble and resist attempts to extract and characterize their components. A mouse tumor, the EHS tumor, has provided large amounts of basement membrane material, which has facilitated the structural and functional characterization of its components.