Translating Aging

• Building the Infrastructure for Longevity Medicine: ARPA-H's PROSPR Program (Dr. Andrew Brack, Program Manager)

  Dr. Andrew Brack, Program Manager at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), discusses PROSPR (Proactive Solutions for Prolonging Resilience), an ambitious new program aimed at extending human healthspan. In this wide-ranging conversation, Chris and Andrew explore how PROSPR plans to accelerate the development of therapies that target aging itself by building the regulatory and scientific infrastructure needed to measure and improve health during aging. They discuss PROSPR's innovative approaches to in-home data collection, biomarker development, and clinical trial design that could compress decades-long studies into just three years.The Finer Details:The mission and structure of ARPA-H as a catalyst for healthcare innovationHow PROSPR aims to build "train tracks" for the longevity therapeutics industryThe program's novel approach to measuring health through intrinsic capacityStrategies for compressing clinical trials from decades to yearsThe economic impact of extending healthspan by just one yearPlans for first- and second-generation therapeutics targeting agingThe role of in-home health monitoring in future clinical trialsQuote: "We have this moral imperative to close the gap between the length that we are living and the number of years that we're living in good health."Links:PROSPR websiteProposers' Day registration

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• Decoding Stem Cell Rejuvenation Factors (Markus Gstöttner, CEO of Clock.bio)

  Markus Gstöttner is the CEO of Clock.bio, a company devoted to extending and improving the quality of life by reversing the harmful effects of time in our cells. In this episode, Gstöttner shares how his company is working to extend healthspan by understanding and harnessing the natural rejuvenation capabilities of stem cells. The conversation explores Clock.bio's groundbreaking approach to identifying the genes and pathways involved in cellular rejuvenation, and their vision for translating these discoveries into therapies.The Finer Details:How induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) naturally resist and reverse agingClock.bio's novel platform for forcing stem cells to age and studying their spontaneous rejuvenationThe company's comprehensive genetic screen identifying over 150 rejuvenation-related genes, the Atlas of Rejuvenation FactorsStrategies for validating these discoveries and developing therapeutic applicationsThe path from discovery to clinical trials for extending human healthspan

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• Eliminating Pathogenic Cells to Treat Disease (Adam Freund & Remi Laberge, Arda Therapeutics)

  Adam Freund (CEO) and Remi Laberge (CTO) are the founders of Arda Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing novel therapies that selectively eliminate harmful cell populations driving chronic diseases. In this episode, they discuss their innovative approach to treating conditions like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by identifying and removing specific cell types that cause tissue damage, rather than trying to modify cellular behavior through traditional drug approaches.The Finer Details:The concept of pathogenic cells as drivers of chronic diseaseHow single-cell RNA sequencing enables precise identification of harmful cell populationsArda's approach to developing targeted antibody therapeuticsAdvantages of cell elimination versus pathway modificationThe potential for intermittent dosing to improve patient quality of lifeFuture applications in aging and age-related diseasesQuotes: "Cells make up tissues. Tissues make up organisms... If you have the right cell at the right place, everything looks good. If you have the wrong cell at the wrong place, doing the wrong thing, the tissue will decay.""We position our strategy as an alternative to traditional pathway targeting... changing cell behavior by blocking a single node could be quite challenging.""This is game changer for the patient experience. If we're successful, our drug will be administered once a quarter, once every six months. But during that time, this patient feels like he is not a patient. He doesn't take a drug, he's not under treatment, and doesn't have the side effect of taking those drugs.""We think that cell depletion is a broadly applicable strategy across many chronic diseases, including potentially aging itself one day.""In 10 years from now... we will know precisely which cells to eliminate. Now, will we be allowed to do it in an otherwise healthy patient? That's a different type of question."

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• Precision Epigenetic Medicines to Extend Healthspan (Alex Aravanis, Moonwalk Biosciences)

  Alex Aravanis is the CEO and co-founder of Moonwalk Biosciences, a biotechnology company pioneering precision epigenetic medicines. In this episode, Chris and Alex discuss Moonwalk's innovative approach to developing a new class of medicines aimed at treating complex diseases and potentially extending human healthspan.The Finer Details:The concept of epigenetics as the "source code" for cell statesMoonwalk's technology for analyzing and modifying the epigenomeThe company's focus on cardiometabolic diseases and adiposityComparison of Moonwalk's approach to other epigenetic reprogramming strategiesPotential applications in treating obesity and metabolic disordersThe use of AI and machine learning in epigenetic researchFuture directions and challenges for Moonwalk BiosciencesQuotes:Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity."In the past, I've heard people refer to the DNA as the blueprint of biology, and I don't quite like that analogy. I think of it as more like the hardware, and the epigenome is the source code — the epigenome is responsible for the complex coordination of different genes that lead to proteins, and the temporal aspects of those so it's really how the hardware is used to make and maintain and change different cell types.""We're opening up the epigenome as a platform for drug discovery. The vast majority of the genome is not the coding regions, but it's incredibly important in controlling gene expression. So there's a lot of biology in there to inform our selection of targets, and we think that could dramatically improve both the number of interesting targets and our ability to select targets. The data that we're creating, our expertise, and our computational tools make us amongst the best in the world at using the epigenome for drug discovery."Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to: [email protected] Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBioAge website: https://bioagelabs.comBioAge Twitter: [@bioagelabs]

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• Hevolution: Extending Global Healthspan (Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO)

  In this episode, Chris Patil speaks with Dr. Mehmood Khan, CEO of Hevolution Foundation, about the organization's mission to extend healthy human lifespan and better understand the aging process. Dr. Khan discusses Hevolution's unique approach to funding global scientific discovery and investing in private companies dedicated to advancing aging science. He shares insights into the challenges and opportunities in the field of longevity research, the importance of global collaboration, and the potential impact of extending healthspan on societies worldwide.The Finer Details:Hevolution Foundation's origin and missionThe importance of aging research in the context of global challengesHevolution's collaborative approach and funding strategiesChallenges in translating aging research into accessible interventionsThe need for validated biomarkers in aging researchGlobal perspectives on aging, including challenges in developing countriesThe importance of policy engagement and public awareness in advancing the fieldhttps://www.hevolution.com/

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