Longevity Startup Tests First Human for Age-Related Blindness Reversal
▼ Summary
– Life Biosciences has dosed its first patient with ER-100, a drug targeting age-related sight loss, in a safety and side effects study of about 18 adults over the next year.
– The drug aims to treat glaucoma and NAION by rejuvenating optic nerve cells that transmit visual information to the brain, with previous success in restoring vision in monkeys.
– ER-100 is the first cellular rejuvenation therapy using this technology to receive FDA clearance for human clinical trials.
– The therapy is based on the theory that aging results from loss of epigenetic information, not irreversible damage, and this trial tests if restoring that information can treat human disease.
– Life Biosciences is developing applications of its technology for other age-related diseases, such as fatty liver disease, across various organs.
A longevity-focused biotech company has administered its experimental therapy to the first human participant, marking a milestone in the effort to reverse age-related blindness. Life Biosciences announced that its drug, ER-100, is now being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial involving roughly 18 adults over the next year, with the primary goal of assessing safety and potential side effects.
The therapy targets patients suffering from glaucoma and NAION, two conditions that progressively destroy critical cells in the optic nerve. This nerve is responsible for transmitting visual signals from the retina to the brain. ER-100 is engineered to rejuvenate these damaged cells, aiming to restore their function and, ultimately, improve sight.
According to David Sinclair, cofounder of Life Biosciences and a professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, this is the first cellular rejuvenation therapy of its kind to receive FDA clearance for human trials. It represents the initial opportunity to determine whether this technology can actually ameliorate human disease.
The science behind ER-100 is rooted in aging biology, specifically how cells and bodily functions degrade over time. The drug has generated significant interest across the biotech sector because of its potential to reverse cellular aging at a fundamental level. Life Biosciences, headquartered in Boston, is also exploring applications of its platform to address a range of other age-related conditions, including fatty liver disease, in various organs.
“Our research has suggested that aging is driven in large part by the loss of epigenetic information, not irreversible damage,” Sinclair explained. “This clinical study represents the first opportunity to test whether restoring that information can ameliorate human disease.”
(Source: Wired)
