EXT Life Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology start-up company spun off from Wayne State University that develops proprietary, targeted antioxidant treatments to slow the aging process, announces the development of a cell-penetrating catalase derivative that eliminates the fundamental cause of graying hair.

EXT’s new compound, called CATSKL™, is the only targeted antioxidant of its kind. EXT co-founder Stanley R. Terlecky, Ph.D., a pharmacology professor at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and a leading authority on the enzyme catalase, says EXT’s discovery and extensive research on targeted antioxidants present a platform for anti-aging products of the future, including shampoos to keep hair from turning gray and creams to keep skin smooth, by counteracting the natural oxidant damage that occurs with the aging process.

“The preservation of good health and youthful appearance well into old age is critical to the EXT mission. Given the dramatic growth of an aging global population, our research presents a transformative development for society while also introducing business opportunities for the cosmeceutical and medical fields,” said Dr. Terlecky.

CATSKL™ is a targeted catalase technology that reintroduces the enzyme into peroxisomes of aged cells to reestablish the balance of pro and anti-oxidants and has already earned patent protection in several countries.

Research by Dr. Terlecky and colleagues points directly at the importance of this equilibrium in thwarting the progression of certain aging parameters. This groundbreaking work has clear implications for the cells of aging hair follicles – where the first visible sign of aging deterioration occurs (as gray hair), as well as in cells corrupted by diseases associated with the aging process, including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

EXT’s announcement occurs as the scientific community deepens its research into aging issues. In a recently published scientific report, researchers at England’s University of Bradford discovered why hair turns gray as it ages. According to the study, hydrogen peroxide accumulates and "bleaches" hair due to the age-related absence of catalase.

Specifically, amassed and highly destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS), often referred to as “free radicals” or “oxidants”, damage melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, because the responsible enzyme, tyrosinase, is inactivated by the high levels of hydrogen peroxide.

Dr. Terlecky says EXT’S research takes the Bradford study further.“EXT not only understands the process that turns hair gray but offers a potentially powerful antidote. Through our research, we have shown that CATSKL™ overcomes the catalase deficiency in a variety of human cell types, including those of the skin, scalp, and hair follicles,” affirms Dr. Terlecky. “We are ahead of the game in terms of nearing the point where we can act on our research and take a product to market.”

About EXT Life Sciences, Inc. (EXT)

Founder, Dr. Stanley R. TerleckyStanley R. Terlecky, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Detroit’s Wayne State University School of Medicine.

His laboratory researches the molecular mechanisms of peroxisome biogenesis in human health, disease and aging. Dr. Terlecky is the author of 39 published articles in various areas of biochemical and cell biological research.

He holds a B.A. from New York University and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Physiology from the Sackler School of Tufts University’s School of Medicine. Dr. Terlecky was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of California, San Diego.

He is a recipient of the National Research Service Award from the NIH, the Basil O’Conner Research Scholar Award from the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Wayne State University’s Academy of Scholars Junior Lectureship, and Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Research Excellence and College Teaching Awards.

About EXT Life Sciences, Inc.

EXT is a Michigan-based biotechnology company engaged in developing, manufacturing, and selling new classes of proprietary, targeted antioxidant biologicals to prevent, treat and cure diseases associated with aging in the global pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical markets. EXT, founded in 2004, was initially a joint venture with Wayne State University in Detroit and is now privately held, offering investment opportunities to sophisticated technology investors.

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