This is a working overview of TB-500, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
This page was last updated on 2026-05-26 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
TB-500 is a shorthand label used in supplier catalogs and online discussion for a short synthetic peptide described as a fragment of thymosin beta-4. Most product listings present it as the N-terminally acetylated heptapeptide Ac-LKKTETQ, a sequence corresponding to the actin-binding region of the parent protein. The name is not a formal chemical designation and does not appear in standard nomenclature systems. Because labeling practices vary between vendors, two products sold under the same name may not contain the same molecule, and the stated sequence should be treated as a claim rather than a fixed definition.
Thymosin beta-4 is a naturally occurring protein of 43 amino acids found in most mammalian cells, where it binds actin monomers and influences filament dynamics. It was first isolated from thymus tissue in the early 1980s, and its actin-binding activity was later mapped to a short region near the N-terminus. The synthetic fragment sold as TB-500 was designed to reproduce that region rather than the full protein. Whether a short fragment reproduces the behavior of the intact molecule remains an open question, since the parent protein carries additional structural elements outside the binding region.
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.
TB-500 is a catalogue name applied to a synthetic peptide related to thymosin beta-4, an actin-binding protein found in most mammalian cells. Suppliers do not use the label consistently: some describe it as the full 43-residue protein, others as a short fragment from the actin-binding region, and others as a related tetrapeptide. Because the name is commercial rather than chemical, two products sold under it may not contain the same molecule. This naming ambiguity is the first point to check in any description of the material.
The most frequently cited identity is a seven-residue fragment with the sequence LKKTETQ, taken from the actin-binding domain of the parent protein. A separate molecule, N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline, often shortened to Ac-SDKP, derives from the same protein's N-terminal region and appears in overlapping literature. Reported molecular masses therefore differ between sources, and a mass value on its own does not establish which fragment is present. Confirmation requires a defined sequence rather than a single number.
Research interest in thymosin beta-4 fragments centres on actin sequestration, cell migration and tissue repair models. Most published work uses cultured cells or animal wound and cardiac preparations, and findings are generally described as preliminary. No fragment of this protein has been approved as a therapeutic product by major regulators. Reviews of the field note inconsistent dosing, delivery routes and outcome measures across studies, which complicates direct comparison. The material is best understood as a laboratory reagent with an active but unresolved research literature.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reported sequence | Ac-LKKTETQ | Described in most listings as the actin-binding region of thymosin beta-4 |
| Reported molecular weight | Approximately 889 Da | Value shifts with the stated sequence; compare against the certificate of analysis |
| Parent protein length | 43 amino acids | Thymosin beta-4; the fragment covers only a small part of it |
| Common synonyms | TB4 fragment; thymosin beta-4 fragment | Trade-style names rather than formal nomenclature |
| Formal monographs | Not established | Labeling conventions differ by supplier and region |
Material is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder in a sealed vial. The powder is hygroscopic, so exposure to humid air leads to water uptake, caking and gradual loss of the fluffy texture that indicates a good freeze-dry. Vials are best kept sealed with desiccant, protected from light and stored cold. Letting a cold vial warm to room temperature before opening reduces condensation on the contents. Purity is normally reported from a chromatographic run, and that figure applies to the batch as tested rather than to the vial after repeated opening.
Once dissolved, the peptide is far less stable than the dry powder. Aqueous solutions are subject to hydrolysis, oxidation at susceptible residues and gradual loss of material through adsorption onto glass and plastic surfaces. Terminal glutamine can cyclise under some conditions, producing a related species that complicates purity assessment. Dilute solutions tend to lose a larger fraction of material to surfaces than concentrated ones. Buffers, pH and ionic strength all influence the rate of change, so stability figures are only meaningful when those parameters are stated alongside the storage interval.
Thymosin beta-4 is a 43-residue actin-binding protein found in most mammalian cell types, where it participates in cytoskeletal regulation and cell migration. TB-500 represents only a short fragment of that protein and does not include the remaining residues. Whether the isolated fragment reproduces the full range of activities reported for the intact protein remains an open question. Researchers commonly treat the two as related but distinct entities when comparing results.
Published work involving this sequence spans actin-binding assays, cell-migration studies, wound-healing models, and cardiovascular or musculoskeletal experiments. Much of the biological rationale derives from in vitro systems and animal models, and the number of controlled human studies is small. Reported outcomes vary across preparations, doses, and routes, which complicates comparison between studies. Reviews generally describe the evidence base as preliminary rather than settled. Mechanistic explanations are often proposed by analogy to the parent protein rather than demonstrated directly.
=== Comparative Experiments === A comparative NAIL-MS experiment is quite similar to a SILAC experiment but for RNA instead of proteins. First, two populations of the respective cells are cultivated. One of the cell populations is fed with growth medium containing unlabeled nutrients, whereas the second population is fed with growth medium containing stable isotope labeled nutrients. The cells then incorporate the respective isotopologues into their RNA molecules. One of the cell populations serves as a control group whereas the other is subject to the associated research (e.g. KO strain, stress). Upon harvesting of the two cell populations they are mixed and co-processed together to exclude purification-bias. Due to the distinct masses of incorporated nutrients into the nucleosides a differentiation of the two cell populations is possible by mass spectrometry.
In June 2013, the band released a pinball game app for iOS as part of Pinball Rocks HD compilation, featuring the single "Hollow", the band's logo and the album artwork, as well as references to the band's previous albums such as Jar of Flies and the self-titled record. The band released videos for the songs "Hollow", "Stone", "Voices", the title track and "Phantom Limb". "Hollow" and "Stone" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, while "Voices" reached No. 3, and each one of the three songs stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2014. Alice in Chains toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe in 2013 and 2014. In May 2013, the band co-headlined the annual MMRBQ festival with Soundgarden in Camden, New Jersey. Asked in September 2013 if Alice in Chains would make another album, Cantrell replied, "It'll be a while. It's [been] four years since we put the last one out, but at least it's not the gap that was between the last one, so that's about right - about three to four years."
After the Colombian government dismantled many of the drug cartels that appeared in the country during the 1980s, left-wing guerrilla groups, and right-wing paramilitary organizations resumed some of their drug trafficking activities. They resorted to extortion and kidnapping for their financing: activities which led to a loss of support from the local population. These funds helped finance paramilitaries and guerrillas, allowing these organizations to buy weapons which were then sometimes used to attack military and civilian targets. Natural resources were found to be correlated with the conflict, while higher per capita income and public investment were associated with reduced conflict intensity. During the presidency of Álvaro Uribe, the government applied more military pressure on the FARC and other outlawed far-left groups. After the offensive, many security indicators improved. As part of a controversial peace process, the AUC (a right-wing paramilitary group) as a formal organization had ceased to function. Colombia achieved a considerable reduction in cocaine production, leading White House drug czar R. Gil Kerlikowske to announce that Colombia was no longer the world's biggest producer of cocaine. In February 2008, millions of Colombians demonstrated against the FARC and other outlawed groups. The Colombian Ministry of Defense reported 19,504 deserters from the FARC between August 2002 and their collective demobilization in 2017, peaking in the year 2008. During these years, the military forces of the Republic of Colombia were strengthened.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== External links == Gene Ontology: GO:0003720: telomerase activity Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene on genecards.org The Telomerase Database - A Web-based tool for telomerase research Archived 2021-04-19 at the Wayback Machine Three-dimensional model of telomerase at MUN Elizabeth Blackburn's Seminars: Telomeres and Telomerase Telomerase at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Overview of all the structural information available in the PDB for UniProt: O14746 (Human Telomerase reverse transcriptase) at the PDBe-KB. Overview of all the structural information available in the PDB for UniProt: Q0QHL8 (Tribolium castaneum Telomerase reverse transcriptase) at the PDBe-KB.
== Distribution and habitat == N. christyi has a small geographic range. It occurs in western Democratic Republic of Congo, the southern half of the Republic of Congo, a very small portion of southeastern Gabon, and in the province of Cabinda in far northern Angola. N. christyi is found most commonly in or near water, in lowland bushy or wooded areas along banks of lakes, rivers, and streams. It is limited to the lower Congo River and nearby wet forested areas.
== Gene == The gene that codes for pancreatic elastase 1 is CELA1 (synonym: ELA1) Pancreatic elastase 1 is encoded by a single genetic locus on chromosome 12. Studies of human pancreatic elastase 1 have shown that this serine protease maps to the chromosomal region 12q13 and it is close to a locus for an autosomal dominant skin disease, Diffuse nonepidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Most listings describe it as a short acetylated peptide with the sequence Ac-LKKTETQ, presented as a region of thymosin beta-4. The label is a trade-style name rather than a standardized chemical name, so the exact content of a given vial depends on the supplier.
No. Thymosin beta-4 is a protein of 43 amino acids, while TB-500 is described as a short fragment of it. The two differ in size, structure, and the range of interactions each can support.
Naming for research peptides is not centrally coordinated, so vendors set their own labels and specifications. Differences in stated sequence, molecular weight, or purity documentation usually trace back to those independent labeling choices.
TB-500 is a trade-style label for a synthetic peptide connected to thymosin beta-4. It is sold mainly through research-chemical channels and is not a single chemically defined product across suppliers.