Jichi Medical University

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sky Labs' CART BP, an innovative blood pressure monitoring device, has been recognized by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) for its exceptional accuracy in both day and night measurements. This recognition, prominently featured in an official position paper led by Professor Kazuomi Kario of Japan's Jichi Medical University, underscores the potential of cuffless blood pressure technology to transform hypertension diagnosis and management. Continue Reading Sky Labs Blood Pressure Monitoring Device Recognized for High Accuracy by the International Society of Hypertension Sky Labs, a health-tech startup based in South Korea, developed CART BP—the world's first ring-shaped, cuffless device designed for 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Unlike conventional smartwatches, CART BP delivers more stable photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, ensuring highly accurate blood flow measurements through the finger. Wrist-based devices often struggle with accuracy due to variations in wrist size and sensor positioning. In contrast, CART BP offers multiple ring sizes for a customized fit, significantly improving measurement precision. Its accuracy has been rigorously validated in clinical trials. The ISH position paper, endorsed by leading organizations such as the World Hypertension League (WHL), the European Society of Hypertension (ESH), the Asian Pacific Society of Hypertension (APSH), and the Latin American Society of Hypertension (LASH), highlights CART BP's promising results from multiple clinical trials. Based on these studies, the paper confirms that CART BP meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and closely correlates with conventional Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) systems. One of CART BP's most significant advantages is its ability to provide continuous, cuffless blood pressure monitoring, offering greater convenience compared to traditional devices. While intermittent readings in clinical settings can often be unreliable, CART BP ensures constant, unobtrusive monitoring, delivering valuable data throughout both day and night—making it an ideal tool for effective hypertension management. Sky Labs remains committed to advancing wearable health technology, continually improving the accuracy and accessibility of blood pressure monitoring. This recognition from the ISH further solidifies CART BP's position as a leading solution in hypertension care, setting new benchmarks in patient monitoring and healthcare innovation. About Sky Labs Founded in September 2015, Sky Labs is a leading healthcare startup that has developed CART (Cardio Tracker), a ring-shaped medical device designed for disease monitoring using heart signals collected through optical sensors. Following this, the company developed CART BP, a cuffless, ring-shaped device that enables continuous 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, providing valuable treatment information and making a groundbreaking contribution to improving the quality of life for hypertension patients. Sky Labs has signed an exclusive domestic distribution agreement for CART BP with South Korea's Daewoong Pharmaceutical and is preparing for nationwide sales to hospitals, clinics, and general consumers. Media Inquiries Edelman Korea Kiyoon Kay, [email protected] Jordan Kim, [email protected] Minyoung Lee, [email protected] Sky Labs In-Ok Jung, [email protected] Junehee Yu, [email protected] SOURCE Sky Labs WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Dr. Kuro-o to speak at Second Annual Entrepreneurship, Longevity and Biotech Conference Held in Boca Raton, FloridaBOCA RATON, Fla. and VIENNA, Austria, Feb. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADvantage Therapeutics, a pioneer in developing therapies for neurodegenerative conditions by addressing the biology of aging, today announced the appointment to its Scientific Advisory Board of Professor Makoto Kuro-o, a pioneer in the science of aging and longevity and the first to identify the klotho gene. In addition, ADvantage’s CEO, Jeffrey Madden, will provide updates on the development of ADvantage’s lead compound, AD04™, now in phase 2 clinical trials in Alzheimer’s Disease patients, and on the company’s work on the klotho protein, which aims to reduce the effects of aging. Kuro-o and Madden will speak at the invite-only Entrepreneurship, Longevity, and Biotech Conference in Boca Raton on February 9 and 10. The conference assembles biotech and longevity scientists and entrepreneurs to share research and exchange ideas for improving the biotech and longevity industries. Last year, Moderna co-founder Professor Robert Langer gave the keynote address. “The biology of aging is growing in prominence as scientists discover how damage accumulates throughout the body and how some factors, such as the klotho protein, rejuvenate and protect multiple systems,” said Madden. “ADvantage is working to reduce the burden of aging in Alzheimer’s specifically and other age-related conditions more generally, and Dr. Kuro-o will be a tremendous addition in that effort. His discovery of the klotho gene opened a new field that we will work together to advance. Makoto Kuro-o, M.D., Ph.D. is a professor at the Center of Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Japan. He has more than 30 years of research and clinical experience in endocrinology, endocrine fibroblast growth factors, molecular biology of aging, nephrology, and mineral metabolism. He discovered and named the klotho gene in 1997, and since then has written and published extensively on the topic. His pioneering research has opened new and promising paths toward understanding longevity as well as preventing and treating disease. Dr. Kuro-o received his degrees from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Other speakers at this year’s conference include Dr. Carmela Abraham, Chief Science Officer, ADvantage Therapeutics, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MGH, Dr. Leona Krohle CEO and Founder, Bluezone Longevity Sphere, Nathan Cheng, General Partner, Healthspan Capital, Lisa Fabiny-Kiser, CEO, SENS Research Foundation, Agustin Fernandez III, CEO, Rational Vaccines, Iosif Gershteyn, CEO, ImmuVia, Bryan Johnson, Founder and CEO, Blueprint, Jeff Madden, CEO, ADvantage Therapeutics, Fiona Miller, Managing Partner, QuadraScope, Jim O'Neill, Co-founder, the Thiel Fellowship, Former HHS Official, Dr. Achim Schneeberger, Chief Medical Officer, ADvantage Therapeutics, Yuri Deigin, Co-Founder, YouthBio Therapeutics, Petr Sramek, CEO, healthylongevity.clinic, Managing Partner, Longevitytech.fund, Dr. Jean Hebert, Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Daniel Gropper, Dean, FAU College of Business, Dr. Siri Terjesen, Phil Smith Professor, Associate Dean of Research & External Relations, Executive Director, Madden Center for Value Creation at Florida Atlantic University, Leonardo Ferreira, Professor at Medical University of South Carolina. Jonathan Gootenberg, McGovern Fellow at MIT, Omar Abudayyeh, McGovern Institute Fellow at MIT, Andre Watson, Chairman and CEO, Ligandal, and other biotech visionaries. Sponsored by the Madden Center for Value Creation at FAU’s College of Business and in collaboration with FAU Health, the conference is being held February 9th and 10th on the FAU campus in Boca Raton, Florida. About AD04™ADvantage Therapeutics is developing AD04™ as a novel immunotherapy for mild Alzheimer’s Disease. The compound has been used extensively as an adjuvant in human and animal vaccination programs. In a previous trial, AD04™ serving as a control against another compound appeared to demonstrate statistically significant slower decline in cognitive and quality of life clinical measures compared to other treatment groups. AD04™ also showed slower decline in hippocampal volume as a biomarker. The Company believes that rather than being limited to a specific aspect of AD pathology, such as amyloid beta or tau, AD04™ may address inflammatory mechanisms in the brain, functioning as an immunomodulator, stimulating and/or regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology. About Alzheimer’s DiseaseAbout fifty million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death in industrialized countries. In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated the total worldwide cost of dementia at $1.3 trillion and expects this cost to rise to $2 trillion by 2030. The socio-economic burden of Alzheimer’s Disease is enormous. AD devastates the lives of patients and their families. AD victims lose their memory and independence. Alzheimer’s Disease is a high unmet medical need as there are currently no disease-modifying drugs approved worldwide. The availability of a safe, effective, affordable drug would transform the life of an AD patient from accepting a debilitating disease to the retention of personality, independence, and dignity. About ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc.Headquartered in the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, ADvantage Therapeutics is developing therapies to treat neurodegenerative conditions with a central focus on Alzheimer’s Disease. The Company’s lead compound AD04™ is a subcutaneous injectable therapy that entered, in November 2023, confirmatory Phase 2b clinical trials in Europe, to evaluate its safety and efficacy in early AD patients. The Company believes that AD04™ may function as an immunomodulator, stimulating and regulating the immune system to reduce AD pathology, rather than limiting therapy to attack the misfolded proteins, beta amyloid and tau. The Company is exploring additional approaches to mitigating neurodegenerative disease, among them increasing the levels of Klotho, a life and health extending protein which will have an overall impact on longevity. About ADvantage Therapeutics GmbHADvantage Therapeutics GmbH, founded in 2021, is the Vienna BioCenter-based subsidiary of ADvantage Therapeutics, Inc., where the Company conducts early research and drug development. Safe Harbor-Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements of potential mode of action, potential clinical effect, potential safety, and ADvantage’s potential clinical development program and pipeline program. ADvantage is in the early stages of developing and testing its AD04™ compound and may not receive future regulatory approvals needed for marketing it as a drug. The described clinical effect of our lead compound AD04™ is primarily based on results of a Phase 2 study designed to evaluate a different compound. The described results need to be confirmed for proof of concept, might not be representative of larger scale clinical trials, and do not guarantee future clinical success. Any preclinical results presented here are interim. The mechanism of action of AD04™, as potentially determined in our future investigations, particularly in future clinical trials with patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, might differ from the one presented. Contacts:For ADvantage Therapeutics195 NW 40th StreetMiami, FL 33127 Jeffrey Madden CEOjeff@advantagetherapeutics.com(305) 846-9027 David Buchsbaum CFOdavid@advantagetherapeutics.com(305) 846-9027

Scientists have investigated lamprey embryos using cutting-edge microscopic techniques to reveal interesting insights about vertebrate head evolution, clarifying an unresolved mystery in basic science. Since the 18th century, several theories regarding the origin of the vertebrate head have been proposed. However, owing to the lack of molecular and morphological studies, the question of whether the vertebrate head evolved as a modified embryonic segment or originated as an independent unsegmented head remains unanswered. Now, scientists from Japan have investigated lamprey embryos using cutting-edge microscopic techniques to reveal interesting insights about vertebrate head evolution, clarifying an unresolved mystery in basic science. The origin of the vertebrate skull is a topic of much debate among evolutionary biologists. Some believe that the vertebrate head has developed as a result of modification of the segmental elements of the trunk, such as the vertebrae and somites. On the other hand, others believe that the vertebrate head has evolved as a new, unsegment body part, unrelated to other widely observed embryonic segments somites. Interestingly, previous studies on embryos have revealed the presence of some vestiges of somites in the head mesoderm (e.g., head cavities and somitomeres). However, homology between trunk somites and such head segments has been controversial. The failure to understand the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate head is also attributable to the lack of studies on extant species such as lampreys, which are known to share several traits with fossil jawless vertebrates and retain primitive traits related to the head mesoderm. While some studies have focused on the embryonic morphology of lampreys, they have often fallen short because of challenges like tissue destruction and acidic fixation during examination, making it difficult to observe the formation of head mesoderm and trunk somites. Now, however, a research team led by Assistant Professor Takayuki Onai from the University of Fukui, Japan, has utilized advanced techniques like transmission electron microscopy and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to understand the development of the head mesoderm and somites in lamprey embryos. The researchers also analyzed the morphology and gene expression patterns of cephalochordate and hemichordate (both being invertebrates) to understand the origins of somites and head mesoderm from an evolutionary perspective. This paper was made available online in iScience on November 13, 2023, and is co-authored by Dr. Noritaka Adachi from Aix-Marseille Université, Dr. Hidetoshi Urakubo from the National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), Dr. Fumiaki Sugahara from Hyogo Medical University, Dr. Toshihiro Aramaki from Osaka University, Dr. Mami Matsumoto from NIPS and Nagoya City University, and Dr. Nobuhiko Ohno from NIPS and Jichi Medical University. To clarify the presence or absence of somites in the head mesoderm during early stages of diversification, the researchers focused on rosettes, which are major somite patterns and are important for the subsequent development of vertebrae. Their initial observations of lamprey embryos showed that the tissue closely related to the formation of facial muscles and other elements of the skull, known as the head mesoderm, did have cell clusters with features similar to somite rosettes. To clarify if these cell clusters were indeed rosettes, they conducted ultrastructural experiments, including the SBF-SEM and gene expression analysis. This examination of the cellular morphology and gene expression revealed that the cell clusters were clearly distinct from rosettes. "The cell clusters we observed are likely lamprey-specific features, as they are not recognizable in the head mesoderm of both hagfish and shark embryos," explains Dr. Onai. Furthermore, gene expression analysis also revealed the absence of segmental expression of somitogenesis-related genes, indicating their distinctiveness from somites. These findings indicate that the rosette pattern typically seen in somites is not necessarily the essential or most basic feature that defines the process of bodily segmentation. Moreover, the experiments provide evidence that the vertebrate head mesoderm diverged during the early phases of vertebrate evolution. Furthermore, comparison of embryos of hemichordates (a basal deuterostome), amphioxus (a basal chordate), and vertebrates revealed that the somites likely arose from the "endomesoderm" tissue of an ancient deuterostome ancestor. The evolutionary origin of somites has been the central question in zoology for more than 150 years, and in this study, Onai et al., revealed the enigma. Regarding the evolutionary mechanism for the emergence of head mesoderm, they found that the head mesoderm emerged upon the segregation of mesodermal genes between the front and back parts (rostro-caudal axis) of organisms. "Taken together, our findings revealed a different evolutionary origin for the vertebrate head mesoderm, suggesting that it evolved from the repatterning of an ancient mesoderm and diversified even before the emergence of jawed vertebrates," concludes Dr. Onai. In summary, the finding that the cell clusters present in the head mesoderm are distinct morphologically and molecularly from somites, favors a new model where the vertebrate head mesoderm diverged during early evolution. This sheds more light on the age-old debate on the evolution of the vertebrate head and can help us advance the understanding of our own origins.