Translating Aging

Today’s guest on the podcast is Marc Bernegger, a serial tech entrepreneur who has been following developments in the field of longevity since 2009. Recently he became a founding partner of the Swiss company, Maximon, whose core missions is building companies and providing support to longevity entrepreneurs.Marc has worked for over a decade between two continents at this point, and his interest in longevity has never been more intense.  From aging skin to gut microbiomes, there’s a lot of work and research left to do, and if you’re of Bernegger’s school of thought, longevity is a matter of the present, rather than some notion about the distant future.  As you will hear today, Marc is like so many others in his field -  putting in the work now to create a better tomorrow.  The Finer Details of This Episode:Entrepreneurial supportMaintaining a growing companyThe future of aging skinCooperation in the longevity biotech sectorInvestment attitudes in the US and EuropeSeeing longevity as a present issueQuotes: “Our ambition is to only focus on businesses where there's a real scientific background, so not selling snake oil, which is maybe on the short term very profitable but definitely not sustainable.”“We support them from day one. We help them with all our network experiences and learnings as serial entrepreneurs ourselves. We support them with money. And we really try to be a sparring partner without maybe becoming too annoying.”“​​I think for me as an entrepreneur, that's always very fulfilling that you can give, be an alternative, and create more entrepreneurs starting companies.”“One of the reasons we decided to launch Maximon as a company builder is that we wanted to show that it’s possible to monetize the megatrend of longevity as we speak.”“You can really boost and accelerate the growth by combining some of the different business models.”“By having more elderly, healthy, longer living people, a lot of business models will change. So elderly living is a big topic. Something we're looking into is the whole gut microbiome, but also microbiome in other areas where you have a huge impact on longevity.”“The longevity biotech sector, even in the regulated drugs space, is pretty cooperative. We don't think of ourselves as competitors, because everyone wants everyone else to succeed.”Links: Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInMaximon Homepage

Joining Chris today is Dr. Vadim Gladyshev, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of Redox Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. The Gladyshev lab studies redox biology and trace elements as they relate to cancer, reproduction, and aging. Today, Dr. Gladyshev shares with us how his research group investigates the aging process and how aging is quantified in academic research.Dr. Gladyshev begins by discussing how he got involved in the longevity sector. He goes on to explain that aging has not been clearly defined, and how many researchers define aging differently. He contends that aging should be studied as opposed to age-related diseases because age-related diseases are influenced by other factors aside from aging. The interview concludes with the importance of conferences that address the science of longevity and how these events connect bright minds to tackle unsolved problems in the field.Episode Highlights:How Dr. Gladyshev got involved in aging The relationship between selenium and longevity How longevity is studied in the Gladyshev lab What is rejuvenation? The importance of measuring the aging process using clocks Using experimental and computational methods to alter clocks How the biotech industry quantifies aging Targeting aging and not age-related diseases The importance of conferences targeting longevityQuotes:“In general we try to address fundamental questions in the biology of aging — really trying to understand, ‘What is aging? How can we fundamentally adjust lifespan or target aging?’ … And we try to identify new areas of potential growth for the field.”“We work on cross-species analysis to understand how the lifespan is shaped over evolutionary timescales and how we can utilize what we learn from evolution in targeting aging and lifespan.”“Many changes can be measured as an organism moves from young to old. So this might be useful for measuring the progress of normal aging. But when you're intervening in aging, you don't want to reverse all of those changes, because some of those changes are evidence of the body's protective responses in action.”“Just to play devil's advocate for a second: why would you want to target aging if you still got sick and died at the same rate?”“Mortality is an integrative feature of not just the aging process, but interaction with the environment.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInDr. Vadim’s LinkedinGladyshev lab WebsiteGladyshev lab Twitter

Joining Chris today is Alex Zhavoronkov, CEO and Co-founder of Insilico Medicine, an artificial intelligence–driven pharma-technology company with a mission to accelerate drug discovery and development. Alex is a lifelong advocate for longevity biotech and the author of The Ageless Generation: How Advances in Biomedicine Will Transform the Global Economy. Today, Alex shares the accomplishments that Insilico Medicine has achieved in drug discovery and how AI and robotics come into play.The episode begins with Alex narrating his experience in the field of longevity and how his interest developed at a young age. He discusses the reason behind building Insilico Medicine, how AI and robotics aid drug discovery in the longevity industry, and how biology and chemistry play a significant role at Insilico Medicine. The episode ends with Alex describing the future he sees for Insilico Medicine and how they can improve human life using AI to advance drug discovery and data generation.Episode Highlights:What fueled Alex’s interest in longevity Building Insilico Medicine How tech is used at Insilico Medicine The role of AI and robotic systems How AI and robotic systems can improve the longevity space The future of Insilico MedicineQuotes:“It always fascinated me how we grow, mature, reach our peak, and then decline and die. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you do, you lose everything… So, the rest of my life is dedicated to aging research.”“We started generating novel molecular structures with the desired properties, and managed to achieve spectacular results.”“In human clinical trials, we realized that we can use some incremental data that could be generated using a robotic system. So now we're building one of the most advanced labs in the world focused on data generation, and also personalized medicine that can take in specific biological samples.”“BioAge is one of the leaders in the space, showcasing that it can identify targets using longitudinal data that is available from biobanks.”“We trained neural networks to predict age first, and then retrain them on diseases or on other conditions, that is, any data type that is changing in time.”“By training on age, you are training on the most important feature that connects all of us.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInInsilico Medicine

Back in the host's chair this week, Bob Hughes welcomes Dr. Bill Evans, one of the world's foremost experts on muscle aging, to the podcast. Bill is adjunct professor of Human Nutrition at University of California Berkeley and an adjunct professor of medicine in the Geriatrics Program at Duke. Previously, he was vice president and head of Muscle Metabolism Discovery Performance Unit at GlaxoSmithKline and he was also president of the Muscle and Health Division at KineMed. He was also president of the Muscle and Health Division at KineMed. Earlier this year, he was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 International Conference on Frailty, and Sarcopenia Research. Today, Bill brings his vast amount of experience and expertise to the podcast to discuss how muscle aging affects longevity in older people and the relationship between muscle aging and age-related diseases.He begins by sharing his experience in the longevity industry, particularly with muscle aging, and goes on to discuss the term ‘sarcopenia’, including what it means and how it relates to muscle degeneration. He then explains the differences between sarcopenia and cachexia, and referring to several studies, shares the meaning of frailty, the relation of walking speed with age, and the importance of the brain–muscle connection. At the conclusion of the episode, Bill discusses the future of muscle aging and how the longevity industry hopes to find solutions that will improve the lives of people on a global scale.Episode Highlights:Bill’s journey in the muscle aging industry Why muscle degeneration? The origin of the term ‘sarcopenia’ The differences between sarcopenia and cachexia Is sarcopenia due to dysregulation of neuronal inputs? The contribution of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers in aging Sarcopenia and age-related diseases What is frailty? Why our walking speed slows down as we age The relation between exercise and psychological state The brain-muscle connection The future of the longevity industry from Bill’s viewpointQuotes:“What are some of the causes of late life disability? How does muscle change as we grow older? Why do we lose muscle?”“A large percentage of women in particular over the age of 60 reported that they couldn't even lift 10 pounds. And the muscle weakness progressed as they grew older.”“The primary deficit and functional deficit as we grow older is loss of strength. And that is directly related to how much muscle we have.”“Cachexia is associated with a rapid increase in the breakdown of muscle, while sarcopenia is associated with a more gradual decrease in the rate of synthesis of muscle.”“People generally over the age of 75, have circulating markers of inflammation.”“People with type two diabetes and insulin resistance lose muscle at almost double the rate of people with normal glucose tolerance.”“If we improve strength in an older person, their spontaneous activity goes up. And their habitual walking speed goes up as well.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInDr. Bill Evans on LinkedIn

This week’s episode of Translating Aging features Robin Mansukhani, CEO and Co-founder of Deciduous Therapeutics, a company that aims to positively impact human healthspan by developing medicines which activate the endogenous immune mechanism responsible for the elimination of senescent cells. Today, Robin shares his insights on how senescent cells develop and how Deciduous Therapeutics eliminates them.Robin begins by explaining what causes the growth of senescent cells. He explains that not all senescent cells are dangerous and discusses the various kinds of these cells. Although senescent cells are prominent in age-related diseases, Robin explains that they are also found in younger people with autoimmune diseases such as juvenile diabetes. He goes on to talk about Deciduous Therapeutics’ approach in combating senescent cells by activating the NKT cells. He also shares his thinking about the best directions for human trials. The episode concludes with Robin describing the future of Deciduous Therapeutics, and his focus on impacting people globally in a meaningful way.In this episode, you’ll learn how senescence arises, traditional senolytic approaches, and the importance of NKT cells in eliminating these pathogenic celss.Episode Highlights:The origin of senescent cells Why are senescent cells highly pathogenic? Breaking down the different kinds of senescent cells The relationship between senescent cells and age-related diseases Senolytics and senostatics: approaches for getting rid of senescent cells Deciduous Therapeutics’ approach What happens when senescent cells overpower NKT cells? The role alpha-galactosyl ceramide on NKT cells The current hurdles Deciduous Therapeutics are trying to overcome How Robin see Deciduous Therapeutics in five yearsQuotes:“Senescent cells are cells that have been irreversibly damaged, and so they exit the cell cycle.”“It's not about the age of the person. It's more about the biological age of the organ and tissue. So we see senescence, also, in young people.”“If you can take a senescent cell that's pathogenic and make it good again, and make it functional again safely and successfully, that would be very useful.”“The approach here and our mindset going into creating this company was: there's a way that nature intended for this to happen, and it is our job to figure that out.”“Getting the first indication to work means that you'll have a runway to lots of success. But if your first one does not work, in a lot of cases, it might mean the end of the company or the end of the runway because you simply don't get enough funding for multiple clinical trials at once. So it is critical.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInDeciduous Therapeutics Website DeciduousTx.com

In today’s episode of Translating Aging, Chris welcomes Mark Hamalainen, the founder and director of LessDeath, to discuss how to encourage the influx of talents into the longevity field. LessDeath is an organization on a mission to support the growth and effectiveness of the longevity industry’s workforce. Today, Mark shares with us his experience in the longevity space, why he founded LessDeath, and what to expect at the upcoming LessDeath Longevity Summer Camp.Noting that his experience in the longevity space was propelled by his fascination as a teenager, Mark goes on to share details about leaving his Ph.D. program to get hands-on experience in the longevity world and discover the many talents represented in the industry. He speaks about founding LessDeath, what the organization hopes to achieve, the inaugural LessDeath Longevity Summer Camp and the gap this event is hoping to bridge in the industry. Included in this episode are interviews with Stephanie Dainow and Kia Winslow, camp counselors for the Longevity Summer Camp, in which they share the kinds of talent they expect to attract to the event and the kinds of activities that will take place.Episode Highlights:How Mark got involved in the longevity space The biggest issue in the longevity field The different talents prospering in the biotech field Why gene delivery and gene therapy require more technological development The challenges with getting people into the longevity biotech field How LessDeath tackles the talent issue and encourages networking The LessDeath Longevity Summer Camp Interview with Stephanie Dainow How Stephanie got into the longevity space Interview with Kia Winslow Kia’s story of getting into biotech What is next for LessDeath?Quotes:“I started a Ph.D. at Cambridge working on some gene therapy development. But I quickly got a bit disillusioned with the pace and the amount of extra work involved in grant writing, bureaucracy, and academia.”“A lot of people would prefer to work on important problems like longevity, climate change, building a multiplanetary species. But it can be difficult to know where to start, and how to build a sustainable career out of it.”“I've never liked the idea of getting older and losing my faculties and physical capabilities.”“If you want to invest your time supporting initiatives that drive measurable improvement to the human condition, but you're really not sure where to start, this is the event for you.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInLessDeath Website LessDeath.OrgApply for LessDeath Longevity Summer CampMark’s LinkedIn

On today’s episode of Translating Aging, Chris welcomes Tyler Golato and Laurence Ion to talk about VitaDAO, a collective accelerating research in human longevity and decentralized drug development.  The pair start the conversation off by discussing their company’s roots -  a previous business venture that sought to change the incentive structures around drug development.  VitaDAO was created as a means to support biological longevity research through decentralized means.  They go on to discuss VitaDAO’s future, how they can increase liquidity, and their goals to advance drug development.  Golato and Ion argue that the present is a perfect time to create VitaDAO, given the current intersection between biotech, block chain, and longevity research.  They conclude by recalling the early-life dreams that inspired them to enter this field. Episode Highlights:The essence of VitaDAOChanging the incentive structures around drug developmentThe partners’ passion for longevityVitaDAO’s decentralized structure Project sourcing and fundingIncreasing liquidityGoals to end drug developmentThe intersection of biotech, block chain, and longevityWhy Tyler and Laurence are interested in longevityQuotes: “VitaDAO was born out of an early concept that we had been working on at a company called Molecule, which is a company that I co-founded about three years ago with a vision of doing decentralized drug development.”“It's not completely open, completely decentralized to the point where it's paralyzing for the organization, but we try to look at the things that are most valuable to decentralize in order to make the organization as maximally efficient as possible.”“We really try to make it as easy as possible for token holders to make informed decisions about whether or not something is ultimately worth funding. We like to do so once we're at the point where we ensure that we can actually progress with a deal.”“We are distinctly different from a venture fund in terms of our endpoint is not really ROI impact, it's really impact in the space. And that comes in many different forms, in terms of taking a diversified approach to funding longevity research.”“Even if we spin out a NewCo, these contributors can vote on what projects are funded, how they are spun out, and then they can co-invest and help these therapeutics eventually come to market.”“In the long term, we really hope to be able to do a lot of things within the decentralized science ecosystem as the space broadens and has liquidity to do so through partnerships with organizations like Molecule and LabDAO.”“Certain things like clinical trials don't yet have a business model. So we can create one by having either philanthropic groups, patient groups or even a government/life insurance company that has an economic incentive to improve health outcomes.”“Crypto has long been dismissed by the incumbents.”“People who are really looking at how technology and innovation can drive humanity forward and drive the way that we govern.”“What problem is more interesting than human aging? I mean, for me, it's so philosophical; it's so poetic.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInVitaDAO Homepage

On today’s episode of Translating Aging, Chris welcomes Nathan Cheng, the program director at On Deck Longevity Biotech (ODLB), to discuss how ODLB is cultivating new founders and connecting people in the longevity biotech space. Nathan writes about the longevity biotech industry in his Longevity Marketcap Newsletter, is the founder of Longevity List which aims to connect job seekers, companies and investors in the longevity industry, and is on a self-professed mission to end biological aging, Today, he tells us about the purpose of ODLB, its achievements thus far, and the bridge it hopes to build in the longevity biotech industry.Nathan begins the conversation by discussing what On Deck is and why the company was formed. He briefly narrates his journey in tech, what increased his interest in the longevity space, and the mission of the ODLB, as well as how the fellowship works towards creating founders. He goes on to discuss the obstacles many face when they get accepted in the fellowship and how ODLB works to reduce those obstacles by promoting face-to-face interactions. Also contained in this episode are brief interviews with ODLB fellows Brian Hodge and Gabe Warshauer-Baker.Episode Highlights:What is On Deck? Nathan’s journey in the longevity space On Deck Longevity Biotech’s (ODLB) mission The importance of connecting those in the longevity biotech space How mentors contribute in ODLB Does the startup culture reward extroverts over introverts? Getting into the ODLB fellowship Interviews with ODLB fellows Feats the ODLB has achieved The future of the longevity biotech spaceQuotes:“At a high level, On Deck is where people come to start and accelerate their companies. It's also a place where people start and accelerate their careers in the startup economy.”“What makes On Deck unique is that it's a huge network of interconnected program communities. So we have communities centered around specific career goals.”“ODLB’s mission is to increase the number of people working to build longevity biotech startups.”“For some people coming from the scientific domain, this whole idea of networking is foreign to them or nebulous.”“We're gonna generate new founders, but among the people who decide for whatever reason not to become founders, we also want them to be encouraged and empowered to be involved in longevity biotech in some other capacity.”“Putting ourselves on the map for people who are interested in building longevity biotech, I think that is our greatest achievement so far. ”“So I think just more efforts in popularizing this geroscience paradigm, you know, actually targeting aging, I think there's a lot to be done there as well.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInOn Deck Longevity Biotech WebsiteNathan Cheng Twitter

In today's episode, Chris is joined by two leaders of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, A4LI, the first and only 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded with the goal of creating social and political action around the issues of combating age-related chronic conditions and increasing our number of healthy, disease-free years.  Sonia Arrison is a best-selling author, analyst, entrepreneur, and investor who is founder of 100 Plus Capital, Chair of the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives, co-founder of Unsugarcoat Media (acquired by Medium), and an associate founder of Singularity University. Dylan Livingston, the founder and president of A4LI, has a background in political organizing at the state and national levels.The conversation begins with our guests reviewing their journey to the world of longevity science and ultimately A4LI. They then explore many aspects of their organization including the needs it will address, the obstacles it will encounter and how it will overcome them, and its plan for succeeding in its mission. They go on to share what they have already accomplished, their ties on both sides of the aisle in Congress, Silicon Valley's current perspective on their work, and how listeners can help them achieve their mission. Drawing the episode to a close, Sonia and Dylan share their vision for what success would look like for A4LI five years down the road.In this episode, you will learn about the need for an organization such as A4LI to create social and political action around age-related conditions, and how our guests plan to fill this need both  now and into the future.Episode Highlights:Sonia and Dylan's journey to the area of longevity and longevity science How they both came to be involved with A4LI The unmet needs that A4LI will address The obstacles it will meet in pursuing its mission and how it will overcome them The sense in which biology of aging is underfunded A4LI's plan for succeeding in its mission The Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation What it has accomplished already The ties it has made with both Democrats and Republicans Silicon Valley's perspective on their work How researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors can help A4LI Sonia and Dylan's vision of success for A4LI in 5 yearsQuotes:“Sonia has been intimately involved since the organization's inception. And I'm really happy that she is able to be the chair of the board because her leadership and guidance has been absolutely crucial.”“Essentially A4LI will be establishing a line of communication between the longevity industry and elected officials.”“There's a lot of longevity companies out there who are doing some really cool things that are going to extend our health spans. And, and so we need to make sure that the atmosphere is right for that.”“We look to kind of educate, you know, not only politicians, but also the voting public on what's possible.”“What we're saying here is, what I hear you saying is, it should be okay for a company to say we're a longevity company.”“You'd think that the government would want to fund that more, and they should, because of the e massive impact that a drug that treats aging could have.”“Even if funding is coming in from the private sector, biotech companies still stand to gain from formalized efforts, because they're going to get a smoother regulatory environment and potentially greater legitimacy for the products and ideas that they're developing. ““By simply doing what other advocacy efforts do - that is public persuasion campaigns, their advertising - I think we can really open some ears up and get people focused on this space a little more.”“One of the things that was really important to me about getting involved in this is that it remained bipartisan, and so far, we've managed to do a really good job of having people on both sides of the aisle.”“I think people in Silicon Valley are interested and excited, and are just sort of waiting to see what's going to happen, and, you know, just how interested Congress might be.”“Everything is going to change with the introduction of an effective longevity drug. So, you know, we need to help the government and institutions prepare for that.”“Once somebody starts stealing your idea, you know that it's gold.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInA4LI Homepage

Today’s guest is Dr. Morgan Levine, an assistant professor of Pathology and Epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine. She is also a Founding Principal Investigator at Altos, a new biotechnology company focused on cellular rejuvenation programming to restore cell health and resilience. Dr. Levine shares her expertise on biological aging, aging clocks, cellular reprogramming, and a peek into the research she’s currently undertaking at Altos here today.She starts the conversation by explaining the differences between biological aging and chronological aging. She then delves into topics surrounding biological clocks such as DNA methylation, and discusses her work at Altos and how this will differ from an academic environment.  Dr. Levine finishes up by highlighting what Altos hopes to bring to science and biotech in years to come.In today’s episode, you’ll learn the difference between biological and chronological aging, the nature of biological clocks, and some of the exciting work taking place in biotechnology these days.Episode Highlights:The difference between chronological aging and biological aging What is an epigenome? How DNA methylation is measured Using aging clocks for a particular demographics How to decide if a discovery slows the biological clock Applications of clocks as it pertains to aging and longevity The costs of individual measurements Dr. Morgan’s work at Altos How Altos was founded Deciding the direction of research Understanding cellular reprogramming The future at AltosQuotes:“Age measured in chronological time was the biggest risk factor for most diseases.”“I like to think of the epigenome as almost the operating system of a cell.”“The things that we assume should affect aging, in potentially an animal model, show effects when using the epigenetic clock.”“We've actually taken the human epigenetic clock and broken them out into.. what we would call different modules.” “If we're measuring biological age, it should first correlate with chronological age to some degree, but not perfectly.”“We’ve become much more interested in understanding the clocks rather than developing new clocks… What’s driving the changes that are captured by the clocks, and how do those link to the outcomes they’re associated with?”“My lab is really a combination of both experimental wet lab people and computational dry lab people.”“I think  saying we just work on aging, or just work on longevity, is really constraining us to some degree.”Links:Email questions, comments, and feedback to podcast@bioagelabs.comTranslating Aging on Twitter: @bioagepodcastBIOAGE Labs Website BIOAGELabs.comBIOAGE Labs Twitter @bioagelabsBIOAGE Labs LinkedInDr. Morgan’s LinkedInAltos Labs Website