Rowan University

Life sciences platform enhanced to make cognitive assessments easier and more precise BOSTON, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Linus Health, a digital health company focused on enabling early detection of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's and other dementias, will be presenting more than a dozen sessions and posters at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) taking place July 28-Aug. 1 in Philadelphia, and virtually. The Linus team will be at Booth #830 to discuss its cutting-edge Alzheimer's research as well as share updates and provide hands-on demonstrations of new assessments added to the company's brain health platform. Foremost among these significant enhancements are: A patent-pending amyloid predictor that estimates the likelihood of A𝛽 PET positive status based on a machine-learning model using various multi-modal drawing, voice and speech, and stylus measures obtained during Digital Clock & Recall assessment. A pre-screening platform that reduces the burden on participants and provides a rapid, low-cost solution for more randomized participant selection using a two-phased approach to enhance recruitment with short eligibility assessments that efficiently eliminate ineligible participants. Its remote capabilities broaden study populations to ensure the correct balance of participants and diversity for each study. An electronic Person Specific Outcome Measure (ePSOM™) tool to capture and monitor patient-reported outcomes in studies and enable true personalized recommendations and interventions. The research topics that Linus thought leaders will present at AAIC range from using artificial intelligence (AI) in digital cognitive assessment tools to the integration of a digital cognitive assessment tool in a primary care setting. "Clinicians and researchers are on the cusp of breakthroughs in the detection and treatment of dementia," said Linus Health CEO and Co-Founder David Bates, PhD. "Conferences like AAIC are prime opportunities to share research and insights fueling those advancements, including Linus Health's groundbreaking research into dementia screening and the importance of early intervention for mild cognitive impairment." The pre-conference sessions are: "The Electronic Person-Specific Outcome Measure (ePSOM) in the US population: What Matters to Individuals the Most About Their Brain Health," by Stina Saunders, PhD, Personalized Medicine Lead, Linus Health. Saturday, July 27. "Digital Cognitive Screening and ML-Enabled Random Forest Modeling for the Detection of Cognitive Impairment," by Ali Jannati, MD, PhD, Director of Cognitive Science-Medical Affairs, Linus Health. Saturday, July 27. The oral presentations are: "Early Identification of Alzheimer's Disease with a Machine Learning-Enabled Digital Cognitive Assessment: Concurrent Detection of Cognitive Impairment and Amyloid-Beta PET Status," by Jannati. Part of Featured Research Session: 2-21-FRS-C, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., Monday, July 29. Session #93435. "The Electronic Person-Specific Outcome Measure (ePSOM) in the U.S. Population: What Matters to Individuals the Most About Their Brain Health," by Saunders. Part of Lightning Presentation Round 1-5-LPR, 8:00 to 8:45 a.m., Sunday, July 28. The poster presentations include: "Integration of a Digital Cognitive Assessment Tool in a Primary Care Setting," by Jannati. Part of Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors: Dementia Care Research, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 31. Poster #89522 "Validation of Clinical Decision Support Recommendations of a Digital Cognitive Assessment by Expert Cognitive Neurologists," by Jannati. Part of Biomarkers, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #92040 "Digital Cognitive Screening and ML-Enabled Random Forest Modeling for the Detection of Cognitive Impairment," by Jannati. Part of Biomarkers, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 31. Poster #89936 "DCTclock™ Metrics Differentiate Between Amnestic and Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment," by Brendan Haas, PhD, Senior Data Scientist, Linus Health. Part of Clinical Manifestations: Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #89745 "The Digital Clock and Recall Can Predict Functional Impairment in Individuals with and Without Cognitive Impairment and Triage Those in Need of Further Assessment," by Marissa Ciesla, PhD, senior clinical development specialist, Linus Health. Virtual only. "Feasibility of Linus Health's Life-and-Health Questionnaire in Primary Care Settings," by Ciesla. Virtual only. "The Digital Clock and Recall Is More Equitable and Less Biased than the Mini-Mental State Examination in Terms of Ethnicity," by Claudio Toro-Serey, PhD, senior data scientist, Linus Health. Part of Basic Science and Pathogenesis: Human Neuropathology, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #89963 "Digitizing the Trails-Making Test for Automatic Detection of Cognitive Impairment: Validity and Reliability," by Toro-Serey. Part of Basic Science and Pathogenesis: Human Neuropathology, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #89997 "A Brief Digital Neuropsychological Protocol – I: Using Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Technology to Assess Process and Errors," by David Libon, PhD, departments of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Psychology, School of Osteopathic Medicine, New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, Rowan University. Part of Biomarkers, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #91441 "A Brief Digital Neuropsychological Protocol – II: Using Artificial Intelligence to Assess Verbal Serial List Learning Recognition Latency," by Libon. Part of Biomarkers, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Sunday, July 28. Poster #91489 "A Brief Digital Neuropsychological Protocol – III: Using Artificial Intelligence to Measure Semantic Memory with the 'Animal Fluency' Test," by Libon. Part of Biomarkers, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday, July 29. Poster #91512 "A Brief Digital Neuropsychological Protocol – IV: Relations Compared to Comprehensive Paper and Pencil Neuropsychological Assessment," by Ileana De Anda-Duran, MD, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Part of Developing Topics: Clinical Manifestations, 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 31. Poster #95672 For more details about Linus Health's research, click here. Those attending AAIC are invited to visit the Linus Health team at booth #830 during the show. For more information about Linus Health, connect with us here. About Linus Health Linus Health is a Boston-based digital health company focused on transforming brain health for people across the world. By advancing how we detect and address cognitive and brain disorders – leveraging cutting-edge neuroscience, clinical expertise, and artificial intelligence – our goal is to enable a future where people can live longer, happier, and healthier lives with better brain health. Linus Health's digital cognitive assessment platform delivers a proven, practical means of enabling early detection; empowers providers with actionable clinical insights; and supports individuals with personalized action plans. We are proud to partner with leading healthcare delivery organizations, research institutions, and life sciences companies to accelerate more proactive intervention and personalized care in brain health. To learn more about our practical solutions for proactive brain health®, visit or follow us on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Tara Stultz Amendola Communications for Linus Health [email protected] SOURCE Linus Health

NEW YORK, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Myrtelle Inc. ("Myrtelle" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing transformative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, will host a symposium on Canavan disease (CD) clinical trial updates and future directions for oligodendrocyte targeting AAVs at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 27th Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 8, 2023, at 8:30 am EDT in Baltimore. The symposium will highlight development of gene therapy targeting oligodendrocytes for Canavan disease, updates on the company's First in Human (FIH) open-label Phase 1/2 clinical trial using its proprietary vector (rAAV-Olig001-ASPA), and the discovery of novel oligodendrocyte targeting AAV capsids. Oligodendrocytes perform numerous key functions in the brain - including the production of myelin, the insulating material that enables proper neuronal function – and are now appreciated as having roles in a range of diseases. Myrtelle is developing a unique toolkit, including a proprietary class of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors that directly target these cells thereby providing potential treatment options for diseases in the company pipeline. Symposium speakers include: - Paola Leone, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Center at Rowan-Virtua SOM & School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences of Rowan University will cover the history of her work in Canavan disease in her talk on the "Development of a Gene Therapy for Canavan Disease Targeting Oligodendrocytes." - Rob Lober, M.D. Ph.D. Principal Investigator on Myrtelle's Canavan Disease Gene Therapy Trial and Attending Neurosurgeon at Dayton Children's Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine will present on a case study from Myrtelle's Phase 1/2 First-in-Human Gene Therapy Clinical Trial in Patients with Canavan Disease in his talk titled, "Oligodendrocyte Targeted Gene Therapy for Canavan Disease." - Patrick Aldrin-Kirk, Ph.D. Chief Science Officer at rAAVen, an AAV engineering company focused on generating innovative vectors for the next generation of gene therapies, will present on the "Discovery of Novel Oligodendrocyte Targeting AAV Capsids" and potential disease targets. "As a leader in oligodendrocyte targeted therapies, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to host a symposium at ASGCT's annual conference," said Jordana Holovach, Head of Communications and Community at Myrtelle. "This symposium provides a unique forum to highlight the critical but underappreciated role of oligodendrocytes in the overall health of the brain and as a potential target for treating neurodegenerative diseases. We are excited by the potential of our evolving toolbox for delivering therapeutic constructs to oligodendrocytes and impacting disease targets that are inherently intractable by nature. We look forward to sharing our insights and generating further interest into the oligodendrocyte story at the symposium." Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Location: Baltimore Convention Center – Room 324 – 326 Time: 8:30 am – 9:30 am ABOUT MYRTELLE Myrtelle Inc. is a gene therapy company focused on developing transformative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The company has a proprietary platform, intellectual property, and portfolio of programs and technologies supporting innovative gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative diseases. Myrtelle has an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pfizer Inc. for its Canavan disease program. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: . ABOUT CANAVAN DISEASE Canavan disease (CD) is a fatal childhood genetic brain disease caused by mutations in the ASPA gene (ASPA) which prevent the normal expression of aspartoacylase, a critical enzyme produced in oligodendrocytes. The lack of normal aspartoacylase expression negatively impacts brain development, including myelin production. Patients with CD are impacted at birth but may appear normal until several months old when symptoms begin to develop. Poor head control, abnormally large head size, difficulty in eye tracking, excessive irritability, severely diminished muscle tone, and delays in reaching motor milestones, such as rolling, sitting, and walking, are the typical initial manifestations of CD. As the disease progresses, seizures, spasticity, difficulties in swallowing, and overall muscle deterioration emerge with most affected children developing life-threatening complications by approximately 10 years of age. Currently, there are no cures for CD, and only palliative treatments are available. More information on Myrtelle's clinical trial in Canavan disease can be found on under the identifier NCT04833907 or by emailing PatientAdvocacy@MyrtelleGTX.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "believe," "will," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend" and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions, or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and include statements regarding results obtained to date continuing to reinforce the hypothesis that addressing the gene deficit directly in the brain, and specifically in oligodendrocytes, of patients with Canavan disease can potentially restore myelination and support functional improvements. While Myrtelle believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, Myrtelle's program demonstrating safety and efficacy, as well as future results that are consistent with prior results, the ability to generate the data needed for further development of this novel gene therapy in the patients with CD, and the ability to continue its clinical trials and to complete them on time and achieve the desired results. All forward-looking statements are based on Myrtelle's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Myrtelle expressly disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statement contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Myrtelle, Inc

Evolutionary biologists have unearthed a new species of tiger beetle, deemed Eunota houstoniana, honoring the Houston region where it predominantly resides. Rice University evolutionary biologist Scott Egan and his research team have unearthed a new species of tiger beetle, deemed Eunota houstoniana, honoring the Houston region where it predominantly resides. The team employed cutting-edge genetic sequencing technology alongside traditional measurements of their physical appearance and geographic range data to redefine species boundaries within the Eunota circumpicta species complex. This approach, known as integrative taxonomy, allowed them to identify distinct biological entities previously overlooked. The study is published online in Nature Scientific Reports. "It is amazing that within the city limits of Houston, we still don't know all the species of insects or plants we share our region with," Egan said. "I'm always interested in learning more about the biodiversity of the Gulf Coast." The Eunota houstoniana was once considered synonymous with the more common Eunota circumpicta, but the team's research revealed significant differences, emphasizing the need for a refined process to species delineation. Eunota houstoniana exhibits distinct genetic and physical characteristics. It is slightly smaller in size, its metallic coloring is more subdued, and it has unique behavior and habitat preferences. Moreover, the new species gravitates towards saline soils often found near salt domes and oil extraction sites along the Gulf Coast. Its habitat ranges from coastal regions to inland areas, showcasing its adaptability and ecological significance. The discovery of Eunota houstoniana underscores the urgency of biodiversity conservation. Its habitats are increasingly jeopardized by urbanization and agricultural or industrial activities, and although newly discovered, Eunota houstoniana is likely a threatened species, according to Egan. "Because of all the growth around Houston, some of these populations have likely gone extinct while others have been hiding right out our back door," Egan said. Egan's research team for Eunota houstoniana includes lead author Dan Duran, department of environmental science at Rowan University; Robert Laroche, ecology and evolutionary biology Ph.D. student at Rice; Ethan Bull, undergraduate student at Rice; David Herrmann from Dallas; Will Godwin from Sam Houston State University; and Steve Roman, collection of arthropods at Florida State University. In a related project, Egan and Laroche recently described another new species from the same genus, the Eunota luecophasma, or the white ghost tiger beetle from West Texas, further highlighting the diversity and importance of these creatures in our region. "Hopefully, our integrative approach to species delimitation becomes the standard for the field of biology, where, unfortunately, many organisms have not had the same level of attention that the charismatic tiger beetles have had," Laroche said. Eunota houstoniana marks the 17th new species described by Egan and his collaborators during his 11 years at Rice. His work at Rice since 2013 has been instrumental in uncovering and describing previously unknown insect species in the state. In Texas, there are around 62 known species of tiger beetles, but that is likely an underestimate of the diversity that exists, according to Egan. By identifying and documenting such species, researchers like those in Egan's laboratory provide essential groundwork for conservation efforts.