Genprex's Research Highlights TUSC2's Role in Brain Aging

AUSTIN, Texas - October 29, 2026 - Genprex, Inc. (Nasdaq: GNPX) has announced that research conducted under its sponsored research collaboration with Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, will be featured at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place November 4-7, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland. The research investigates the role of TUSC2, the tumor suppressor gene used in the company's lead oncology candidate REQORSA (quaratusugene ozeplasmid, or Quar Oze), in mitochondrial biology, cellular resilience, and molecular processes associated with aging.

The findings, which contribute to an expanding understanding of TUSC2 and GNPX REQORSA biology, may help inform the evaluation of potential future therapeutic applications beyond oncology. The research, published in Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, highlights the importance of TUSC2 in maintaining cellular processes associated with healthy brain aging. Specifically, the study found that loss of TUSC2 in mice was associated with substantial disruption of mitochondrial function, protein homeostasis, and pathways involved in neuronal communication within the hippocampus, a region of the brain essential for learning and memory.

The research also revealed that TUSC2 expression declined significantly with age in 11 of 13 examined brain regions, with additional reductions observed in Alzheimer's disease datasets. Levels of TUSC2 protein in the hippocampus, as in the rest of the brain, decrease as humans age. Comparisons between the mouse findings and human hippocampal aging datasets identified overlapping molecular changes, supporting further investigation of TUSC2's role in brain aging.

Genprex, Inc., which was formed as a Delaware corporation on April 1, 2009, and was originally incorporated under the name Convergen LifeSciences, Inc., later renamed Genprex, Inc., is a clinical-stage gene therapy company focusing on developing innovative treatments designed to restore biological functions disrupted by disease. The company's lead oncology program, REQORSA Registered Gene Therapy, is being developed for the treatment of lung cancer and is designed to deliver the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene to help restore tumor-suppressive activity and address multiple pathways involved in cancer progression.

In addition to its oncology program, Genprex is advancing an earlier stage gene therapy program for diabetes, designed to restore insulin-producing capability through the expression of key pancreatic transcription factors. The company is also working with world-class institutions and collaborators to provide novel treatment approaches.

Genprex has highlighted new peer-reviewed research in mice identifying an important role for the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene in maintaining cellular processes associated with healthy brain aging and supporting broader understanding of how disruption of normal biological function may contribute to disease. This research was published in Mechanisms of Ageing and Development by researchers at Meharry Medical College.

The findings further support the importance of understanding how biological functions are disrupted in aging and how restoring TUSC2 may open new avenues for therapeutic intervention in age-related cognitive disorders. Genprex is focused on translating innovative gene therapy approaches into meaningful therapeutic advances for patients with significant unmet medical needs.