27 December 2023
These innovative biotech companies are harnessing the power of epigenetic reprogramming to target aging as a root cause of disease and potentially reverse the effects of aging.
The field of longevity biotech has seen a surge of interest in recent years, as scientists and entrepreneurs strive to develop therapies that can extend the period of healthy human life. At the forefront of this effort are anti-aging biotech startups, which are leveraging the power of epigenetic reprogramming to target aging as a root cause of disease. These companies are on a mission to not only extend lives but also make age-related diseases a thing of the past. In this article, we take a closer look at eight of these cutting-edge companies and their groundbreaking work.
Altos Labs:
Altos Labs, a startup based in the U.S. and the U.K., has attracted significant attention since its launch last year with $3 billion in capital. Backed by investors including Jeff Bezos, Altos Labs aims to restore cell health and resilience through cellular rejuvenation programming. The company is focused on understanding rejuvenation at a cellular level and exploring the potential of ordinary drugs to achieve this, rather than relying solely on genetic engineering.
clock.bio:
clock.bio, based in Cambridge, U.K., is developing regenerative medicines using human pluripotent stem cells to prevent and treat age-related diseases. The company aims to decode rejuvenation programs present in human cells and build an atlas of disease and rejuvenation targets. By force-aging human induced pluripotent stem cells and triggering their self-rejuvenation mechanism, clock.bio is identifying gene candidates that are causally relevant for cell rejuvenation.
Genflow Biosciences:
Genflow Biosciences, based in the U.K., is utilizing gene therapy to slow down or halt the aging process in humans and dogs. The company’s lead compound, GF-1002, is a gene therapy that delivers copies of the Sirtuin-6 gene variant, found in centenarians, into cells. Sirtuins are proteins that play a crucial role in regulating cellular processes and have gained attention for their potential in promoting healthy aging. Genflow Biosciences aims to reduce age-related diseases and the associated healthcare costs.
Life Biosciences:
Life Biosciences is targeting aging biology to develop innovative therapies that prevent, treat, and reverse aging-related conditions. The company’s epigenetic reprogramming platform aims to reprogram the epigenome of older animals to resemble that of younger animals. By expressing three Yamanaka factors, Life Biosciences seeks to rejuvenate cells and tissues. The company also focuses on the chaperone-mediated autophagy platform, which aims to increase the expression of proteins involved in cellular degradation to maintain cellular function.
New Limit:
New Limit, co-founded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, aims to develop epigenetic reprogramming therapies to treat age-related diseases. The company is leveraging advancements in single-cell genomics, epigenetic editing, and machine learning to overcome traditional roadblocks to epigenetic reprogramming. New Limit’s focus is on shrinking the performance gap between young cells and reprogrammed old cells to achieve cellular rejuvenation.
Rejuvenate Bio:
San Diego-based Rejuvenate Bio is using gene expression and epigenetic reprogramming to reverse pre-existing heart disease, metabolic disease, and kidney failure in humans. The company has successfully rejuvenated old mice using gene therapy, doubling their remaining lifespan. Rejuvenate Bio is also conducting a gene therapy trial for mitral valve disease in dogs, aiming to develop a novel cardio-protective gene therapy.
Retro Biosciences:
Retro Biosciences aims to add 10 years to the human lifespan by utilizing cellular reprogramming, autophagy, and plasma-inspired therapeutics. The company is characterizing and optimizing plasma interventions and developing therapies that prevent multiple age-related diseases. Retro Biosciences is also focused on cellular reprogramming research and aims to achieve a clinical proof-of-concept in the next four years.
Rubedo Life Sciences:
Rubedo Life Sciences is using its drug discovery platform, Alembic, to develop therapies that selectively target pathologic cells driving the aging process. The company focuses on senescent cells, which contribute to age-related diseases. Rubedo Life Sciences aims to develop therapeutics for age-related chronic dermatitis, respiratory conditions, and liver and kidney disorders.
Conclusion:
The field of anti-aging biotech is rapidly expanding, with numerous startups dedicated to developing therapies that can extend healthy human life. These companies are harnessing the power of epigenetic reprogramming to target aging as a root cause of disease. While the science is still in its early stages, with most research conducted on animal models, the emergence of these anti-aging biotech startups brings hope for future clinical trials and potential breakthroughs in extending human lifespan. As investment pours into this field, the quest to unlock the secrets of aging continues, with the goal of making age-related diseases a thing of the past.
