Genprex poster links TUSC2 gene therapy to cellular aging-resilience pathways
Genprex said translational data from Reqorsa-treated lung cancer patients show gene expression shifts tied to cellular repair, presented at a November 2026 gerontology conference.
On November 5, 2026, Genprex, Inc. disclosed in an SEC filing that it had put out a press release describing findings from a translational analysis of patients who received its lead drug candidate, Reqorsa (quaratusugene ozeplasmid), a gene therapy product.1
The company said higher TUSC2 expression, the tumor suppressor gene delivered by REQORSA, correlated with a broad shift in gene activity toward cellular maintenance, repair and quality control, which it described as consistent with greater cellular resilience to stress associated with aging.1 The data were shown in a poster titled "TUSC2 Gene Therapy Activates a Transcriptional Program that Enhances Cellular Resilience to Aging-Associated Stress,"1 presented at the Gerontological Society of America's 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, held in National Harbor, Maryland from November 4 to 7, 2026.
According to the filing, the analysis drew on whole-blood transcriptomes from 11 lung cancer patients across two REQORSA clinical trials, with samples taken before treatment and at 5 and 24 hours after intravenous dosing.1 Genprex reported a biphasic response, with the 5-hour timepoint dominated by innate immune, interferon, nucleic-acid-sensing and chemokine activity, a pattern the company said looks like a nonspecific reaction to the lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicle.1 By 24 hours, the profile moved toward cellular maintenance, with increased expression of genes tied to mitochondrial adaptation, autophagy, lysosomal function and ER protein quality control, along with elevated immune surveillance and complement pathways, while ribosomal, translational and IGF/mTOR growth pathways were suppressed.1 The company also noted a transient dip in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation genes at 5 hours that recovered by 24 hours.1
Genprex said this work is tied to a sponsored research agreement with Meharry Medical College, under which it has been studying REQORSA biology, including mitochondrial metabolism and molecular aging and their possible links to cancer.1
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