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Rosalind Franklin University Helix 51 Incubator Company BLR Bio Presents Promising New Scleroderma Drug Data at International Rheumatology Meeting

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BLR-200 demonstrates unique mechanism blocking activation of scar-forming cells in systemic sclerosis models

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science announced today that BLR Bio, a company in its Helix 51 incubator, presented new data this week at the 2026 British Society of Rheumatology conference in Glasgow, Scotland, highlighting the potential of its investigational drug BLR-200 for the treatment of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

“Our goal is to provide relief and healing to patients with this terrible disease,” said Dr. Bruce Riser, CEO of BLR Bio and adjunct professor at RFU’s Center for Cancer Cell Biology, Immunology and Infection. “We are encouraged by BLR-200’s ability to interrupt key biological pathways that drive fibrosis, or tissue scarring, in scleroderma.”

Systemic sclerosis is a rare, chronic autoimmune-based disease characterized by fibrosis and vascular abnormalities affecting the skin, joints and internal organs, especially the lungs, heart and kidneys, which account for most disease-related deaths. Early symptoms often include Raynaud’s phenomenon, skin thickening, joint pain, and gastrointestinal issues. The disease disproportionately affects women (approximately 80% of patients) and can lead to significant disability, disfigurement, pain and fatigue. The World Scleroderma Foundation estimates that about 300,000 Americans are living with some form of scleroderma, with global figures ranging from 1.5 million to 2.5 million people. There are no FDA-approved therapies for scleroderma of the skin.

BLR Bio’s newly presented data serves to further elucidate both the mechanism of action and efficacy of BLR-200 in a bleomycin-induced in vivo model of systemic sclerosis. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and UMAP analysis of total skin fibroblasts — cells with the potential to drive scarring — bleomycin induced a unique population expressing profibrotic markers known as engrailed-1 and COL8A1. Treatment with BLR-200 effectively eliminated this cell population, with a corresponding absence of skin thickening and fibrosis in the treated preclinical models.

“It is exciting to learn that BLR-200’s downstream effect is prevention of activation of engrailed-1/COL8A1-expressing fibroblasts, a highly specific group of scar-forming cells,” Dr. Riser said. “Recent studies have shown that an equivalent skin fibroblast population is present in human scleroderma and is responsible for the overproduction of collagen that characterizes the disease. This further differentiates our therapy from that of others. Also, we know that BLR-200 modulates YAP nuclear translocation — a cellular response to stiff matrices (scarring). This continues to be a critical target in developing therapies for fibro-inflammatory disease.

The study was conducted in collaboration with leading researchers and their institutions, including: Dr Andrew Leask, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Dr. Richard Stratton, Centre for Rheumatology, UCL Division of Medicine, Hampstead, London, UK; Dr James Varani, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and the BLR Bio laboratory at RFU. 

BLR Bio’s in vivo data aligns with recent published research showing that extracellular matrix deposition — the buildup of fibrotic tissue — in human scleroderma skin originates from myofibroblasts expressing these same markers. Together, the data help bridge preclinical models and human disease, supporting the treatment potential for BLR-200. 

BLR Bio also presented data on its research on CCN proteins — signaling modulators in development, wound healing, and tissue repair — as potential non-invasive biomarkers for systemic sclerosis. The studies revealed distinct serum patterns of CCN3 and CCN2 between early versus late-stage patients and healthy controls. Notably, CCN3 alone showed promise as a biomarker to differentiate scleroderma patients from healthy individuals.

The company continues to advance its research on novel peptide-based therapies targeting fibrotic diseases and cancer. Its primary laboratories are based in RFU’s Helix 51 incubator, with collaborations including RFU, the University of Michigan, University of Saskatchewan, and the Mario Negri Institute and others.

“Scleroderma is a devastating autoimmune disease with few treatment options,” said RFU Interim Executive Vice President for Research Dr. Janice Urban. “We are hopeful that Dr. Riser’s expertise and BLR Bio’s innovative approach will lead to meaningful advances that improve both quality and length of life for patients.”

About Rosalind Franklin University
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science embodies the spirit of inquiry and excellence modeled by its namesake Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose Photo 51 was crucial to solving the structure of DNA. Recognized for its research in areas including neuroscience, brain-related diseases, inherited disorders, diabetes, obesity, and gait and balance, RFU encompasses the Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu.

About BLR Bio
Learn more at blrbio.com.

Office of Marketing and Communications
media@rosalindfranklin.edu

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He Sold Everything and Moved to Colombia for Her. Then Built the Translator They Needed and Named It After Her.

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Nayerly, a patent-pending iPhone app, is the first translator both people can talk over at once. Fully offline, 22 languages.

EDMONDS, Wash., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Michael Wilson sold everything he owned and left the US for Colombia to be with the woman he loved. They did not share a language.

Every translator they tried forced them to take turns: one speaks, stops, waits for playback, and only then can the other answer. It worked. It also turned every conversation into a transaction.

So he built his own, alone, and named it after her. Nayerly is now on the App Store.

Nayerly is full duplex, meaning it listens and speaks at the same time instead of taking turns. The app keeps listening while it is speaking, so you can talk over the translation, and it keeps listening when more than one person talks, so two people can talk over each other and it still works. No phone passed back and forth. It works like a personal interpreter sitting between you.

“Every other translator is a walkie-talkie. You talk, you stop, you wait,” Wilson said. “I built this so I could speak better with someone I love. That is the only way you make a real connection. It works so well you forget you are using it and start talking over each other.”

Everything runs on the device. All 22 language models download during setup, so it works with no Wi-Fi and no signal – on a plane, abroad, off the grid – and no audio ever leaves the phone. Hands-free works with any AirPods, not just the premium ones.

Key features:

– Full duplex: listens and speaks at the same time, so you can talk over the translation and over each other
– 100% offline in 22 languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Ukrainian
– Hands-free with any AirPods
– Private by design: audio is never recorded or stored
– Free to download, 10 minutes of translation daily

Unlimited use is $1.99 per month during launch, billed annually. A one-time lifetime option includes Apple Family Sharing. New languages will be added in future updates at no additional cost to existing users.

Videos of Wilson and his girlfriend using Nayerly in Colombia, both speaking at once in English and Spanish, are on Instagram at instagram.com/nayerlyapp and TikTok at tiktok.com/@nayerlyapp.

Availability

On the App Store for iPhone now: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762064110
More: https://nayerly.com 

About Nayerly
Nayerly is an independent iPhone app built alone by Michael Wilson and named for the woman he built it for. It exists so two people without a shared language can just talk.

Media Contact
Michael Wilson
Founder, Nayerly
421311@email4pr.com
425-220-5237

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Eleven GovTech Startups Named to Pitch at State of GovTech 2026

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Companies from across the country will pitch live to government and investor judges in Montgomery County, Maryland, September 9–10. Registration is free for government employees.

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CivStart today announced the eleven startups selected to pitch at State of GovTech 2026, the organization’s seventh annual national govtech summit, taking place September 9–10 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The selected companies span permitting, public safety, emergency management, grant administration, constituent services, and civic infrastructure finance. They will pitch live on the main stage to a judging panel drawn from local government, county technology leadership, and the govtech investment community.

The 2026 Startup Cohort

Appellate  (Bentonville, AR) — system of record for police towing and vehicle custodyAyla  (Washington, D.C.) — public-sector recruiting on a live government labor-market data engineCODICE  (Washington, D.C.) — no-code permitting, licensing, and inspections platformGostly  (Westminster, MD) — real-time command center for urban infrastructureGrantwell  (Los Angeles, CA) — AI grant management across the full lifecycleGreen Stream Technologies (Wake Forest, NC) — flood and weather early warning systemsGovstream  (Seattle, WA) — AI-driven permitting intakeLabrynth  (US, Australia, EU, UK) — AI-native regulatory intelligence for permittingManyBond — crowdfinancing for community-supported local investmentReadyly  (Connecticut) — agentic AI resolving resident inquiries across every channelSamora AI  (Bellevue, WA) — multilingual voice AI for citizen information lines

The Judging Panel

Hillary Orr, Deputy Director of Transportation, City of Alexandria, Virginia Rita Reynolds, Director of Public Sector, CAI Thao Hill, Co-Founder and CEO, Govinity Tom Spenger, CEO, SOVRA Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO, Zencity

The pitch competition is one part of a two-day agenda built around working sessions rather than passive programming. Attendees draft AI use policies, run live cybersecurity breach simulations, and bring unresolved problems from their own jurisdictions to work through with peers.

State of GovTech 2026 is expected to draw more than 200 attendees, split roughly evenly between public sector leaders and the entrepreneurs, investors, and industry practitioners who serve them. The venue sits directly on the Washington Metro, and registration is free for government employees. Full agenda and registration at civstart.com/sogt26.

About CivStart

CivStart is a govtech organization connecting government leaders with the technology solutions and entrepreneurs solving public sector challenges. Through its accelerator programs, industry events, and products including Clarity and GovFit, CivStart helps state and local governments define their challenges and find partners equipped to solve them. State of GovTech is CivStart’s flagship annual summit, now in its seventh year. Learn more at civstart.com.

Media Contact:

Nick Lyell

Co-Founder & COO

421351@email4pr.com | 608.234.2166

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SOURCE CivStart

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Goodix Unveils New Generation Touch Screen Controllers for Medium and Large Displays

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SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Goodix has launched its new-generation GT9976 series of high-performance touch screen controllers for medium and large displays, targeting premium flexible OLED tablets, foldable smartphone main screens, and other smart devices. Delivering major upgrades in gaming control, touch performance in challenging environments, and active stylus support, the series enables device makers to create differentiated large-screen products for gaming, work, and learning.

As an early commercial deployment of the series, Lenovo’s latest Legion Y700 Wuji gaming flagship tablet and Tab Pen Pro 2 integrate Goodix’s innovative portfolio, including the GT9976N touch screen controller, an active stylus driver chip, and an ultra-narrow side-key capacitive fingerprint sensor, to deliver a more responsive and immersive user experience.

Faster Response for Smoother Large-Screen Interaction

High-refresh-rate displays used in competitive gaming place greater demands on touch response and data processing. The GT9976 series features Goodix’s proprietary full-screen parallel sensing architecture, which achieves a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) within a shorter scan time — significantly accelerating finger-signal capture and processing efficiency.

Supporting 7- to 9.5-inch flexible OLED displays, the new series delivers industry-leading touch report rates and instant sampling rates. From everyday browsing and app switching to sudden stops, sharp turns and rapid multi-taps in high-frame-rate games, the GT9976 series ensures smooth, precise, and highly responsive touch interaction.

Reliable, High-Precision Touch Performance in Demanding Conditions

To address the noise interference from flexible OLED panels under heavy system loads, the GT9976 series adopts an industry-leading high-noise-suppression analog front end (AFE) sampling architecture that doubles SNR over the previous generation. Combined with Goodix’s proprietary gaming algorithms, the controllers accurately identify valid touch signals even in complex noise environments, delivering stable, precise coordinate data at all times.

In demanding scenarios such as FPS, MOBA and rhythm games, the GT9976 series combines a higher SNR, high-speed scanning and sampling, and enhanced real-time noise monitoring with frequency-hopping technology to enable faster tap response and stable multi-finger control without jitter or drift. This improves responsiveness and tracking accuracy for pixel-level actions such as flick aiming, recoil control, combo execution and movement.

The series also integrates advanced dual-mode self- and mutual-capacitance sensing with complementary algorithms to improve palm rejection, effectively reducing false touches caused by grip and edge contact. Dedicated optimization for sweaty hands, wet fingers and gaming finger sleeves helps maintain sensitive and stable touch performance under challenging real-world conditions.

Enhanced Active Stylus Support for Productivity and Creativity

For mobile productivity, education and professional drawing, the GT9976 series also delivers significantly enhanced active stylus performance. When paired with Goodix active stylus driver chip, the solution supports a 360Hz pen report rate. Together with Goodix’s proprietary stylus anti-interference algorithm, it achieves outstanding linearity and precision — accurately reproducing every stroke for tasks such as note-taking, fine annotation, sketching, and handwriting practice.

For flagship OLED tablets with large screens, Goodix also offers the GT7A series, which supports display sizes ranging from 10 to 14 inches while delivering the same high overall performance, further strengthening its portfolio for mid- to large-size touch applications. Both the GT9976 and GT7A series have been validated by leading device brands and display panel manufacturers, and are set to be adopted in foldable smartphones, gaming tablets, and slim flagship tablets — enabling smoother, more precise, and more reliable large-screen interaction.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goodix-unveils-new-generation-touch-screen-controllers-for-medium-and-large-displays-302859395.html

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