Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Engineers have created a patch that combines sensors and bacteria to interact with the body. For much of his childhood, Simiao Niu was troubled by psoriasis, a chronic, often painful skin condition, mostly on his arms. Sometimes, the prescribed ointment worked and treated the inflamed, red areas produced by the disease. But he was never sure if he was using enough, whether the skin irritation was healing and when he should stop treatment. Years later, as an engineer on the team at Apple Inc. that devised the electronics in Apple watches monitoring heart rhythm, Niu had a revelation: Could a similar wearable electronic device be developed to treat skin ailments such as psoriasis and provide patients with continuous feedback? Now, Niu, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers-New Brunswick, has played a crucial role in the development of the kind of device that he dreamed of: a unique prototype of what he and his research collaborators are calling a "living bioelectronic" designed to treat psoriasis. Describing the advance in Science magazine, Niu and collaborators, including scientists at the University of Chicago led by Bozhi Tian and Columbia University, reported developing a patch -- a combination of advanced electronics, living cells and hydrogel -- that is showing efficacy in experiments in mice. The patch represents not only a potential treatment for psoriasis, but a new technology platform to deliver treatments for medical needs as diverse as wounds and, potentially, various skin cancers, Niu said. "We were looking for a new type of device that combines sensing and treatment for managing skin inflammation diseases like psoriasis," Niu said. "We found that by combining living bacteria, flexible electronics and adhesive skin interface materials, we were able to create a new type of device." The circular patch is about 1 inch in diameter and wafer thin. The patch contains electronic chips, bacterial cells and a gel made from starch and gelatin. Tests in mice conducted by the research team showed that the device could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms without irritating skin. The device, Niu said, is a leap forward from conventional bioelectronics, which are generally composed of electronic components that are encased in a soft synthetic layer that reduces irritation when in contact with the body. The patches placed on a patient's chest for an electrocardiogram are examples of conventional devices. Niu's invention could be seen as a "living drug," he said, in that it incorporates living cells as part of its therapy. S. epidermidis, which lives on human skin and has been shown to reduce inflammation, is incorporated into the device's gel casing. A thin, flexible printed circuit forms the skeleton of the device. When the device is placed on skin, the bacteria secrete compounds that reduce inflammation, while sensors in the flexible circuits monitor the skin for signals indicating healing, such as skin impedance, temperature and humidity. The data collected by the circuits is beamed wirelessly to a computer or a cell phone, a process that would allow patients to monitor their healing process. During his years at Apple, before he joined Rutgers faculty in 2022, Niu and other engineers were forwarded hundreds of thank-you notes that had been sent to the chief executive's office. The customers wrote to credit their Apple watches with saving their lives, Niu said. The watches' built-in heart rate monitors pointed to a condition -- an arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation -- the customers said they didn't know they had. Atrial fibrillation can lead to strokes if left untreated. "When you produce the kinds of things that positively affect people's lives, you feel very proud," Niu said. "That is something that inspires me a lot and motivates me to do my current research." Clinical trials to test the device on human patients must come next, Niu said, as the first step toward commercialization. Once there is evidence of positive results with minimum side effects, the inventors would apply for FDA approval in order to bring the device to market, Niu said. Other authors of the study from Rutgers included Fuying Dong and Chi Han, two graduate students at the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering.

A team of scientists studying virus-host interactions of a globally abundant, armor-plated marine algae, Emiliania huxleyi, has found that the circular, chalk plates the algae produce can act as catalysts for viral infection, which has vast consequences for trillions of microscopic oceanic creatures and the global carbon cycle. A Rutgers-led team of scientists studying virus-host interactions of a globally abundant, armor-plated marine algae, Emiliania huxleyi, has found that the circular, chalk plates the algae produce can act as catalysts for viral infection, which has vast consequences for trillions of microscopic oceanic creatures and the global carbon cycle. "In a drop of seawater, there will be about 1,000 to 10,000 E. huxleyi cells, and about 10 million viruses," said Kay Bidle, a professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and a senior author on the study. "They're all in a sort of arms race against each other and we are studying it to see how it plays out and impacts Earth's carbon cycle." Reporting in Science Advances, the researchers said they discovered, through observations both in the ocean and in the laboratory, that the chalk (calcium carbonate) plates, called coccoliths, are a previously unrealized central player in viral infections that can collapse phytoplankton blooms the size of some countries within weeks. "Coccoliths can act as catalysts for death, delivering viruses directly to algae cells for successful infection," said Christopher Johns, a doctoral student in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at SEBS and lead author on the study. E. huxleyi is a one-celled species of phytoplankton, which, like trees, performs photosynthesis. In the case of phytoplankton, they convert carbon dioxide dissolved in ocean water into organic compounds, and at the same time produce oxygen. "The phytoplankton in the oceans contribute about half of Earth's oxygen, with the other half coming from land plants," Bidle said. "Every other breath you take is from phytoplankton." E. huxleyi is well-known for its ability to biomineralize calcium carbonate, similar to corals, by producing coccoliths, which are arranged on the cell surface to form an armored layer. These coccoliths are produced and then shed into the surrounding seawater in a continuous cycle. For years, the function of these coccoliths has been poorly understood, according to Bidle. Researchers believed the chalk armor existed in part to protect phytoplankton from getting infected by viruses. And the discarded, free coccoliths were commonly thought of as passively drifting planktonic particles with little biological or ecological roles. But in experiments conducted in laboratories on the Cook campus at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Johns and other team members observed that the expelled coccoliths can find their way back to the E. huxleyi cells, reattach, and at the same time ferry viral particles, facilitating infection. This ability to propagate and catalyze infection is one unexpected role of the coccoliths with important potential ecosystem outcomes. The discovery also has an important connection to climate change and the Earth's carbon cycle, Bidle said. Infected E. huxleyi cells produce a sticky glue that can help aggregate particles into what is called "marine snow." When marine snow sinks to the deep ocean, it helps to sequester and bury carbon, removing it from the atmosphere for centuries to millennia. Coccoliths are important in this process because they are heavier than seawater and help make particles sink faster and more rapidly into the deep ocean. By assisting in the death of the phytoplankton, as well as in marine snow formation and sinking, the coccolith biominerals can ultimately have a positive impact on the removal of carbon dioxide from the upper ocean and atmosphere, Bidle said. "This means the coccoliths facilitate the process of sequestering or sinking carbon into the deep ocean for thousands of years, making them important players in balancing the Earth's carbon cycle," Bidle said. Other Rutgers researchers on the study include Associate Professor Heidi Fuchs; Karen Grace Bondoc-Naumovitz, a former postdoctoral fellow now at the University of Exeter in England; and Alexandra Matthews, a former undergraduate student, all within the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of California-Santa Barbara, and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington also were involved in the study.

Experienced Executive Brings Approximately 40 Years of Pharmaceutical, Clinical Development and Operational Experience BOSTON, Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: NRBO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on therapies for cardiometabolic diseases, today announced that it has appointed Joseph Hooker as Interim Chief Executive Officer and President. Mr. Hooker's appointment follows Gil Price, M.D.'s decision to retire from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of NeuroBo. NeuroBo's Board of Directors plans to initiate a candidate search with the assistance of a leading executive search firm to identify Dr. Price's permanent successor. "We are at an important stage in the evolution of NeuroBo, so we are pleased to have Joe serve as our President and CEO on an interim basis as we conduct a search for our next CEO," said Andrew I. Koven, Chairman of the NeuroBo Board of Directors. "Joe's experience and demonstrated leadership are an ideal fit for NeuroBo as we move our newly acquired assets, DA-1241 and DA-1726, into the next stages of clinical development and address the other strategies instrumental to NeuroBo's success. We expect to benefit from Joe's combination of clinical, business development and executive expertise, and his diverse experience working with a number of emerging and large biopharmaceutical companies." "On behalf of the NeuroBo Board of Directors, I also want to thank Gil for his contributions to NeuroBo during a transformative time in NeuroBo's trajectory, in which we completed the acquisition of rights to DA-1241 and DA-1726, and solidified our financial position by completing a successful $32.3 million financing in November of 2022. Under Joe's leadership, we are highly confident in the NeuroBo team's ability to continue advancing our mission and achieving our long-term goals while executing on NeuroBo's strategic priorities," Mr. Koven concluded. Joseph Hooker, Interim CEO and President, stated, "Looking ahead, it is an exciting time for NeuroBo as we continue to advance DA-1241 and DA-1726 through their next stages of clinical development. The acquisition of these two cardiometabolic assets marks a seismic shift for NeuroBo, providing NeuroBo with a highly promising, diversified pipeline with several upcoming value inflection points particularly in the exciting nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and obesity space -- areas with enormous market opportunity, and I look forward to collaborating with the Board and NeuroBo's partner, Dong-A ST Co. Ltd., on development of these newly acquired assets. We have an opportunity to make NeuroBo into a leader in development of treatments for NASH, along with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and our focus is to Phase 2a IND for DA-1241 NASH indication and preparation for IND filing of DA-1726 an obesity indication." "Over the past year, we have developed a clear vision and laid a strong foundation for the future of NeuroBo. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to my team, our BOD, and our stockholders for their unwavering support during this exciting time," said Dr. Price. About Joseph Hooker: Mr. Hooker has served as an independent consultant and advised on an ad hoc basis for leading management consultancies and various pharmaceutical companies with respect to clinical trials, CROs and program management. Previously, Mr. Hooker was Sr. Director of Clinical Operations/Program Leader Rare Disease, Oncology for X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led a cross-functional global program team, pre-clinical through development and commercialization, including strategic planning, oversight, execution of clinical operations and the management of staff. Mr. Hooker earlier served as Director, Program Leadership at Biogen, where he led programs and clinical development for gene therapy, ALS, ophthalmology, rare orphan disease, and CNS. Mr. Hooker also previously served as Senior Director, Clinical Operations at Pierian Bioscience, where he developed and led clinical operations for an oncology device program, and served as Chief Operating Officer of MedAvante-ProPhase and Head, Clinical Operations for Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals, division of Novartis. Mr. Hooker began his pharmaceutical career as Senior Clinical Trial Manager and project leader at DuPont-Merck Pharmaceuticals, and also served at various times in clinical trial management roles at Shire Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon Pharmaceuticals, Quintiles and Novo Nordisk. Mr. Hooker received a BA from Rutgers University and an MBA from Rider University. About NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on therapies for cardiometabolic diseases. Its primary therapeutics programs include DA-1241 and DA-1726. DA-1241 is a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist, which promotes the release of key gut peptides GLP-1, GIP and PYY, which, in turn, play an important role in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and weight loss. DA-1726 is a novel oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogue functioning as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) dual agonist. OXM is a naturally-occurring, 37-amino acid peptide hormone that is released from the gut after ingestion of a meal, activating both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, prompting reduced food intake as well as an increase in energy expenditure, potentially resulting in superior body weight loss compared to selective GLP-1 receptor agonists. For more information visit: . Forward Looking Statements Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the development of NeuroBo's product candidates and the therapeutic potential, timing and nature of clinical trials and potential regulatory approval of NeuroBo's clinical programs and pipeline. Forward-looking statements are usually identified by the use of words, such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "may," "potential," "will," "could" and similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors and risks. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this release, including, without limitation, those risks associated with NeuroBo's ability to execute on its commercial strategy, the success of NeuroBo's new interim CEO and President, the advancement of NeuroBo's drug development pipeline, in particular through clinical development, NeuroBo's expectations regarding hiring a new Chief Executive Officer, NeuroBo's ability to follow the timeline for regulatory submissions and obtain regulatory approvals with respect to the development and commercialization of NeuroBo's current and future product candidates, the ability to realize the benefits of the license agreement with Dong-A, including the impact on future financial and operating results of NeuroBo; the ability to integrate the new product candidates into NeuroBo's business in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the cooperation of NeuroBo's contract manufacturers, clinical study partners and others involved in the development of NeuroBo's current and future product candidates; costs related to the license agreement, known and unknown, including costs of any litigation or regulatory actions relating to the license agreement; changes in applicable laws or regulations; effects of changes to NeuroBo's stock price on the terms of the license agreement and any future fundraising; and other risks and uncertainties described in NeuroBo's filings with the SEC; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of NeuroBo's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2022 and NeuroBo's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2022. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent NeuroBo's views as of the date hereof. NeuroBo anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while NeuroBo may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, NeuroBo specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing NeuroBo's views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Contacts Investors & Media: Rx Communications Group Michael Miller +1-917-633-6086 mmiller@rxir.com Company Codes: NASDAQ-NMS:NRBO