Translating Aging

Ben Kamens is the founder and CEO of Spring Discovery, a company devoted to accelerating therapies for aging and its diseases. Prior to that, Ben was the first engineer for Khan Academy, which provides free online education to millions of users around the world. Today Ben joins host Chris Patil to discuss Spring Discovery’s mission to increase healthy lifespan and dramatically reduce disease, his experience with Khan Academy and how it connected to his work in biotechnology, and overcoming challenges in the field of aging. Ben tells Chris about his pragmatic approach to building a company, how Spring Discovery plans to accelerate drug discovery and clinical development, and their collegial relationship with BioAge and other companies in the longevity biotech sector. Ben chats about Spring Discovery’s recent Series B funding, then offers a sneak peek into their therapeutic pipeline, and details his experience running a nonprofit clinical trial for a generic drug to fight against COVID, including what this taught him about testing drugs for age-related indications. Finally, Ben shares his favorite aspect of longevity science that his company is not currently working on, and where he sees the field of aging moving toward over the next five to ten years.To learn more about Ben and Spring Discovery’s work to accelerate drug discovery with machine learning, visit springdiscovery.com.Episode Highlights:Ben Kamens is the founder and CEO of Spring Discovery; he was also the first engineer for Khan AcademyIntroduction to Spring Discovery and how recent Series B funding will help the company advance its work to increase healthy lifespan and dramatically reduce diseaseHis initial skepticism and passion for fighting disease Overcoming obstacles in the field of agingBuilding value and resources as a company over timeAccelerating drug discovery and clinical developmentMachine learning approachSpring Discovery’s therapeutic pipelineBen’s involvement running a nonprofit clinical trial for a generic drug against COVID, and what this taught him about testing drugs for age-related indicationsYou can read Ben’s article “COVID-19 is the latest disease to point at our need to treat immune aging” hereFavorite aspect of longevity science that his company is not currently working onQuotes:“I couldn't think of a more important mission to try to enable than battling diseases of aging. And our mission is to give the best technology possible to these people who are doing what we think is the most important work possible.”“I came to this field as an outsider and somebody who's really a team builder, and interested in deploying the intersection of scientists and technology to try to fight disease.”“I am an extremely pragmatic person, especially when it comes to company building and entrepreneurialism.”“When you mention aging, you're immediately talking about this extremely broad array of biological phenomena, some of which are going to be relevant clinically, some of which are not.”“This presented a real opportunity to build the best company in the world at measuring the many changes that occur in us as we age.”“We've essentially taken an engineering throughput mindset to disentangling the many dimensions of age-related changes that accrue in our cells and tissues over time, and built a...

Rochelle Buffenstein is one of the world’s leading authorities on the naked mole rat, a fascinating animal that has emerged as an important model for research in longevity science. Dr. Buffenstein is currently a senior principal investigator at Calico Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Alphabet, that is seeking to better understand the biology that controls aging and lifespan. Today Dr. Buffenstein joins host Bob Hughes to explain why the naked mole rat is such a powerful model of successful aging. She talks about their resistance to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration, and what this means for improving human health. You’ll hear about the role of Nrf-2 signaling in maintaining optimal health, looking beyond common animal model systems to understand aging more deeply, and the advantages of looking at health and longevity in naked mole rats versus mice. Dr. Buffenstein also discusses the typical hallmarks of aging and inflammation as they present in the naked mole rat, their unusual reproductive activity, and what this can teach us about human fertility. In this episode, you’ll learn why this unique and resilient creature is a “super organism” of sorts, and why Dr. Buffenstein believes they contain the blueprint for how to live long and successfully healthy lives.Episode Highlights:Introduction to naked mole rat as a powerful model of successful agingHow Dr. Buffenstein came to study these animals and what is unique about their aging processNaked mole rat’s reduced susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and cancerResearch on whether they are resistant to neurodegenerationCentral mechanism that provides generalized protection may be at playNrf-2 signaling pathway and its role in maintaining optimal healthThinking beyond common model systems to learn about molecular processes of agingStudying aging in a long-lived system is more pertinent to humansAdvantages of looking at slow aging process in a natural contextThe Methuselah Mouse Prize (Mprize) is being offered to the first person who can make mice live longer than five yearsUltimate cause of death in naked mole rats is unknownHallmarks of aging and inflammation process as they relate to naked mole ratNaked mole rats lack natural killer cells, which are very important for fighting virusesInnate and adaptive immune systemsUnusual reproductive activity for naked mole ratsThey have adapted to a particularly harsh and hostile environmentDr. Buffenstein believes they contain the blueprint for how to stave off many of the adverse effects of agingQuotes:“A naked mole rat is a mouse-sized rodent that stands out as an especially powerful model of successful aging, primarily because it is known to live an incredibly long time. It seems to be exceptionally resistant to most age-associated diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease. And even reproductive senescence.”“We believe that given this phenotype that these animals are a very good example that aging does not need to be inevitable, and that they hold the blueprint for how to live long and successfully healthy lives.”“I got my first grant, looking at how it is that they're able to live 17 years. Little did I know then that these animals would be exceeding 39 years of age in my care.”“The fact that these animals don't seem to show any age-related change in cardiac function to me is remarkable. If we could understand the mechanism behind that, we might be able to come up with ways to improve human heart function and human health.”“[Naked mole rats] seem to be resistant to just about everything.”“We think that the mechanisms that protect them against...

Earlier this year, the University of California San Francisco launched the Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI), a scientific community that aims to translate breakthroughs in aging research across many disciplines into new approaches and treatments that help people remain healthy and vibrant in later life. Here to tell us about the Institute are Professor Leanne Jones, who moved from UCLA to UCSF to serve as Director of BARI, and Associate Professor and Associate Director of BARI, Saul Villeda. Today Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda join host Chris Patil to discuss the mission and structure of the Institute, as well as their goal to bring people from different campuses together to push forward the field of aging research as a whole.Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda talk about the collaborative culture at UCSF, lowering barriers to resources across disciplines, and what inspired the idea behind the Institute. They explain how they plan to foster communication between basic scientists, clinicians, and healthcare workers to enhance translational medicine, as well as the pathway to commercialization for BARI, and the value of building a community around improving human health together. Finally, Chris asks Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda about the greatest challenges they’ve had to overcome in starting the Institute, their top priorities moving forward, and what they’re most excited to achieve through BARI over the next five to ten years.Episode Highlights:Mission and structure of the Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI)Responsibilities and benefits of membership in the institute Connecting researchers across campuses Network creation and community creationSpirit of community will help attract other institutions to collaborateProviding central resources and lowering barriers to researchWhat inspired the Institute and founding vision of Barbara BakarHow BARI will enhance and promote translational medicine, translational applicationsImproving communication amongst scientists, clinicians, and healthcare workers who are interested in treating problems related to agingQB3 is a University of California hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in life sciencePath to commercialization for BARIValue of communicating with the community and including everyone in the conversation about improving human healthBiggest challenges Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda have had to overcome in getting BARI startedBuilding a tangible community through a hybrid system of virtual/in-person interactionsTop priorities moving forward and what they hope BARI will achieve in the next five to ten yearsInvesting in the community and helping people jumpstart their research programs (e.g., Sandler Fellows Program)Quotes:“Our mission is broad, and really focused on building networks and community around aging. And, as we've said, improving the outcomes for older adults.”“It's exciting to think that our original vision of bringing people together from across all of the campuses is really coming to fruition.”“The requirement is that you're a full-time faculty member or equivalent at UCSF, and membership brings an ability to have first priority for funding opportunities, as well as the core resources that we're building up currently.”“What we quickly realized is that there are a lot of existing resources that people just don't know about. There was no centralized place, where you could just send an email and say, Hey, is anyone in...

Gene therapy screening to discover aging targets (Martin Borch Jensen -&nbsp; Gordian Biotechnology)Gordian Biotechnology is a San Francisco Bay Area biotech company that has created the first in vivo therapeutic screening platform aimed at drug development for complex diseases of aging. Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Martin Borch Jensen joins the show today to discuss Gordian’s unique in vivo pooled screening in animals, as well as which indications they are targeting, their strategy to bring drugs to market, and how Gordian is currently tackling the challenges inherent to animal models. Martin also speaks about his passion from an early age to help fight age-related disease, and making the transition from academia to entrepreneurship, giving up a K99 fellowship at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging to make the jump into biotech.You’ll also hear about Martin’s involvement in multiple efforts to promote longevity science and bring new people into the field, including his apprenticeship program, the newly announced Longevity Impetus Grants program, and recording his “Science of Aging” seminar. Next, Martin shares what’s next for Gordian as they get ready to scale to the next level, which areas of longevity science he is most interested in but not currently working on, and how he predicts the field will evolve over the next five to ten years. For more information on Martin’s apprenticeship program and Impetus Grants application process, please visit MartinBorchJensen.com or follow him on Twitter.Episode Highlights:Dr. Martin Borch Jensen is the co-founder and CSO of Gordian BiotechnologyGordian Biotechnology created the first in vivo therapeutic screening platform to radically improve drug development for complex diseases of agingMartin is also involved with an apprenticeship program and a newly announced grant program to catalyze rapid progress in aging researchHow Gordian’s unique in vivo pooled screening in animals worksThey’re focused on removing the diseases of aging, beginning with their three lead indications, NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or fatty liver), osteoarthritis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisHow Gordian compiles their gene librariesWhile other companies start with in vitro models and then figure out ways to test them in living animals, Gordian starts with the second step&nbsp;They deliver hundreds of gene therapies at once to a single animalThe drugs that they ultimately develop won't necessarily be gene therapy, but instead whatever is most appropriate to pursue the indication once they know the target (small molecule drugs, antibodies)What a cell needs depends on what a cell isGene therapy has plenty of advantages, but the cost is very highHow Gordian is overcoming challenges that are inherent to animal modelsOlder mice are much more expensive and are rarely used in aging researchAnimal models can actually be useful if the animal has progressively developed a disease in the same way humans do, and has similar biologyExample of studying osteoarthritis in horses, because the load-bearing structure of their joints is much more similar to humans, as is their cartilage thicknessGordian’s strategy to bring drugs to marketMartin’s transition from academic to entrepreneur and what inspired him make the jump to biotechHe gave up a K99 fellowship at the<a...

On today’s episode is Dr. Jennifer Garrison, Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and the Faculty Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (GCRLE), which is devoted to supporting breakthrough research on reproductive aging and women in science through funding, training, infrastructure, and collaborative intellectual networks.&nbsp;Dr. Garrison explains that while there are plenty of scientists working on aging and plenty who are working on reproductive biology, there are precious few who are working at the interface of these two fields, which is what they are trying to build at the GCRLE. She shares her fascination with ovarian biology and how it fits into the broader context of longevity research, and details the issue of equality in terms of women having to plan their life choices around reproductive longevity in ways that men do not, as well as funding for women’s health being traditionally overlooked. Dr. Garrison answers questions about menopause across the animal kingdom, the link between reproductive span and lifespan in women, and the most important question we need to answer in order to truly understand ovarian aging.&nbsp;Dr. Garrison describes the key role played by the brain in reproductive success, the need for better animal model systems to understand menopause, and how hormone replacement therapy can help mitigate the negative health consequences around menopause. You’ll also hear about the profound economic and societal impact of menopause globally, as well as Dr. Garrison’s goals for the future and dream outcomes she envisions for the Consortium as they continue their cutting-edge research on the causes of ovarian aging. To learn more about their important work, visit BuckInstitute.org/gcrle/.Episode Highlights:The goal of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (CGRLE) is to extend the female reproductive spanThe Global Consortium began at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging through a generous donation from Nicole Shanahan and the Sergey Brin Family FoundationThere are plenty of scientists working on aging and others who are working on reproductive biology, but precious few who are working at the interface of those two fields - that’s what they are trying to buildThe GCRLE has three arms: Funding; providing resources to build out the field; and building a network communications platform to foster dialogue and collaboration among researchers working on female reproductive agingThey’ve also opened the world’s first ovarian biology core facility at the Buck InstituteOvaries are a very complex structure, and they age at a precocious rate - they’re considered geriatric by the time a woman is in her late 20s, early 30sNicole Shanahan’s became involved with starting the CGRLE to find out what causes ovaries to decline in function so earlyOvarian biology as it relates to reproductive longevity has been traditionally overlooked in terms of receiving fundingWomen’s health has been looked at as a subcategory of medicineEquality is a key piece to what they do - women need to plan their life choices around reproductive health in a way that men do notMenopause accelerates the aging processIt is relatively rare in the animal kingdom - humans are one of the only species that go through menopauseWomen who experience menopause later in life also tend to live longer and have an enhanced ability to repair their DNAThere is a clear link between reproductive span and lifespan in womenThe key question is, What is the cue that tells a woman’s ovaries to start declining in her 20s?The brain is a crucial player in reproductive successWe need better animal...

Dr. Hanadie Yousef is a scientist, aging biology expert and the co-founder and CEO of Juvena Therapeutics, a Palo Alto-based biopharma startup developing protein-based therapeutics to promote tissue regeneration and increase healthspan to prevent, reverse, and cure degenerative diseases.&nbsp;Dr. Yousef joins host Dr. Chris Patil to discuss Juvena’s premise, their use of a machine learning platform to identify proteins that have therapeutic potential, and what most excites her about turning signaling proteins into therapeutics. She answers questions about handling potential challenges within Juvena’s approach, their strategy for bringing drugs to market, and the first aging indication that they are targeting - muscular rejuvenation. Dr. Yousef outlines Juvena’s plans for a clinical study in patients with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 by 2023, and shares what’s coming down the pipeline next for her team. You’ll also hear about Dr. Yousef’s transition from academic science to becoming an entrepreneur, her involvement with the On Deck initiative, which seeks to increase the number of scientists, researchers, and inventors in the healthspan and longevity field, and why it’s so worthwhile to invest in anti-aging science.The interview concludes with Dr. Yousef’s advice for potential new founders in the biotech industry. She also shares the areas of longevity science that she is most fascinated by, and offers her thoughts on how the field of aging pharma will evolve over the next five to ten years.Episode Highlights:Tissues deteriorate as we get older and our ability to heal slows down - this leads to a wide variety of age-related diseasesJuvena Therapeutics sets out to find regenerative cures for those diseasesDuring the aging process, critical regenerative protein signaling pathways that are important for instructing cells and tissues within our bodies start to changeThey start becoming over-expressed or under-expressedThere is a change and loss of healthy crosstalk between pathways that can instruct cellsThis leads to a loss of tissue homeostasisBy understanding what is changing within us, we can use that information to target protein signaling pathways that are important for stem cell function, immune cell function, etc. in order to rejuvenate tissues and reverse the aging processJuvena uses a machine learning platform by combining several data modalitiesTheir premise is to develop protein-based therapies that can target critical regenerative signaling pathways in our bodies to promote better regenerationThey do this by mining secretome of the most po-regenerative source of cells, which are human embryonic, or pluripotent, stem cellsAging models that they use are cells derived from people who are themselves aged or who have an age-related diseaseThere are challenges with every therapeutic intervention targeting the biology of aging&nbsp;Juvena’s strategy for bringing drugs to market and the first aging indication they are targetingThey are looking to promote tissue-specific rejuvenation, for example, better muscle differentiation, reduced atrophy and improved strength and functionThey are hoping to have FDA approval as an investigative new drug within the next year and a half - this would lead to a Phase One/Two clinical study for patients with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 by 2023Dr. Yousef’s academic background and transitioning to starting her own companyShe has a passion for both drug discovery and taking those inventions to build companiesThe inspiration and motivation behind starting Juvena Therapeutics with co-founder Dr. Jeremy O'Connell, as well as the process of pitching and acquiring fundingDr. Yousef was torn between an...

The Dog Aging Project is an innovative initiative that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine health study in the world. The goal of the Dog Aging Project is to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging, and to use that information to help pets and people increase their healthspan, the period of life spent free from disease.&nbsp;Co-directors Dr. Daniel Promislow and Dr. Matt Kaeberlein join the show to discuss the origins of the Dog Aging Project, the overall goals for their initiative, and why dogs are a particularly good model for human aging. They talk about their funding through the National Institutes of Health, the extensive scale of the Dog Aging Project, and its “Community Scientist” component, with canine participants still living at home with their owners. Professors Promislow and Kaeberlein explain their use of molecular biology measures to predict health outcomes for dogs, their commitment to making their data available to the scientific community as a whole, and the difference between how small dogs versus large dogs age, as well as what diseases or conditions different breeds age and die from.Today’s fascinating conversation also touches on the impact of living in a rural versus urban areas on aging, how veterinarians feel about participating in the Dog Aging Project, the test of rapamycin in aging dogs (TRIAD), and the intrinsic value of being able to increase the lifespan and healthspan of our pets. Professors Promislow and Kaeberlein share what drew them to the field of aging, and review the importance of putting safety first in their work with dogs. Finally, you’ll hear their exciting predictions for what we can expect to see in aging research over the coming decades.For more information on the Dog Aging Project, visit DogAgingProject.org. Thank you for listening.Episode Highlights:Professors Daniel Promislow and Matt Kaeberlein are co-directors of the Dog Aging Project at the University of Washington in SeattleDog Aging Project started in 2007 to investigate whether IGF-1 was associated with aging for dogsChief Veterinary Officer is Kate E. CreevyOverall goals are to understand how genes, environment, and lifestyle shape healthy aging in dogs and the mechanisms by which they do so, and to determine whether we can intervene and improve healthy aging in dogsDogs are a very good model for human aging due to their similar environment (water quality, air quality, home setting)Dogs age seven to 10 times more rapidly than humans do, which means we have better success carrying out longitudinal studies with themThey also get the same types of diseases that we doThe Dog Aging Project is funded through the National Institutes of Health, and in particular, the National Institute on AgingThe scale of this project is notable, as well as the fact that the dogs are not in laboratories, but are living at home with their ownersIt’s a “Citizen Scientist” or “Community Science Project” effortThey now have upwards of 32,000 owners and dogs participating, and are still enrolling at DogAgingProject.orgThey collect information about the dogs’ health, disease, activity, diet every year, over the course of their entire livesThese molecular biology measures will allow them to predict what might happen in the future for dogs, and to improve diagnosis and prognosisThe samples are also stored in a biobank at...

Loyal is a San Francisco-based startup that is seeking to treat the underlying causes of aging in dogs. Loyal has raised $11 million in seed funding so far, and is planning to start clinical trials of medications in 2022 and 2023. In this episode, BioAge VP-Media Chris Patil talks with Celine Halioua, CEO and founder of Loyal.Celine beginswith by describing the striking difference in lifespan among the dog species, with smaller breeds like the Chihuahua living twice as long as larger breeds like the Great Dane. She explains how historical inbreeding to create larger dogs actually caused them to age faster, and her plan to develop a drug that compensates for this accidental genetic disorder. Celine tells us about The Healthspan Study, which tracks aging markers in dogs, as well as what inspired her to start Loyal, and how their research complements the goals of the University of Washington Dog Aging Project. Celine breaks down the role of caloric restriction in anti-aging across species, why dogs are one of the best models for human aging as a disease, her background in neuroscience and longevity, and her passion for developing drugs for healthspan and lifespan extension. Celine also offers her perspective about encountering skepticism in the biotech industry, the unique challenges faced by young women founders, and overcoming sexist assumptions following the controversial story of Elizabeth Holmes. Finally, Celine shares what’s next for Loyal and her dream to build a consumer-focused pharmaceutical company that people love.To learn more about Loyal and their dedication to aging health for dogs, visit LoyalForDogs.com.&nbsp;Episode Highlights:Loyal is seeking to determine why, on average, the larger a dog breed is, the shorter their lifespanWe do not see a 2X lifespan differential among varieties of other animalsLoyal also looks at ways to pharmacologically improve metabolic resiliency and fitness in aged animals to give them a longer, healthier lifespanHistorical inbreeding to create larger dogs led them to age faster once they were fully grownLoyal is developing a drug that plans to compensate for this accidental genetic disorderThese drugs will enter clinical trials in 2022 to 2023Loyal is also running “The Healthspan Study,” which tracks aging markers in dogs (register your dog here)Dogs are like family to their owners, and Celine noticed how heartbroken owners were about their larger dogs aging and dying so earlyThis inspired her to start LoyalDistinction between healthspan versus simply adding years to lifeThesis of Dr. Matt Kaeberlein of the University of Washington’s Dog Aging Project&nbsp;Most breeds have some sort of predisposition for some sort of diseaseLOY-001 specifically targets a cellular mechanism that is hypothesized to cause large and giant breed dogs to age faster and have shorter lifespans than their small-breed companionsThey are also developing a second drug that is explicitly for dogs of any size, who have already shown signs of agingCaloric restriction is one of the most fundamental agents of fighting aging - Loyal aims to replicate that effect with a drug, since most humans and dogs do not want to calorically restrict themselvesVeterinary drugs need to be approved by the Veterinary FDA (Center for Veterinary Medicine or CVM)Dogs are one of the best models of human...

Dr. Ashley Zehnder is the co-founder and CEO of Fauna Bio, a San Francisco, Bay Area-based company founded in 2018. Fauna Bio has adopted a fascinating strategy for drug development, studying animal genomics to cure human diseases. They use unique and varied proprietary data sources to identify novel drug targets across a range of clinical applications, beginning with cardiovascular protection. Dr. Zehnder is a veterinarian-scientist at the intersection of animal biology and human health. Today she joins the show to discuss her background in Cancer Biology, her specialty training in exotic/non-traditional species, and the experience of launching Fauna Bio with co-founders, Dr. Linda Goodman and Dr. Katie Grabek in 2018.Dr. Zehnder explains how genomes from non-model systems and animals can inform our thinking about human disease, why her background in veterinary medicine gives her an advantage in studying comparative physiology, and what her team has learned about neurodegeneration from the hibernation process of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. She talks about studying highly conserved disease traits across species and whether we can reactivate certain genetic pathways to reverse those diseases. You’ll hear about Fauna Bio’s work with RNA Seq. data, their focus on cardiovascular research and other indications they are now expanding into, as well as the company’s relationship with Novo Nordisk as they explore the connection between hibernation, metabolic changes, and obesity. Dr. Zehnder offers her perspective on the University of Washington’s Dog Aging Project, and talks about the current drug discovery pipeline at Fauna Bio. She addresses how Fauna Bio fits in with other aging research and concludes with her thoughts on how the field of comparative genomics will evolve over the next five to ten years.Episode Highlights:Dr. Ashley Zehnder is a veterinarian with a background in companion exotics (birds, mammals, reptiles)She completed a Ph.D. in Oncology and Cancer Biology at Stanford UniversityCo-founded Fauna Bio with Dr. Linda Goodman and Dr. Katie Grabek in 2018Her background in studying the molecular basis that drives cancer across all different speciesStudying human genetics alone became difficult and frustrating in trying to determine what drives human diseaseTurning to comparative genetics was a way to solve that problemOrigins of Fauna Bio as a company - decided academia was not the way to take full advantage of new, richer data sets; wanted to make them usable for drug discovery and drug development as quickly as possibleTraditional model systems organisms versus non-model systems and animalsModel organisms do not fit the bill in trying to do therapeutics discovery for more complex disordersInstead of trying to mimic human diseases in model organisms, Dr. Zehnder focuses on finding similar situations that already exist and have been solved in nature, and learning from those solutions directlyHer medical training as a veterinarian gives her an incomparable advantage in studying comparative physiologyScientists who focus only on humans have a blind spot to the fact that the same disease syndromes can be seen across the animal worldResearch on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and neurodegenerationCertain adaptations that help animals end up causing diseases in humans; animals have a way of reversing these while humans do not200 Mammals Project looks at which animals, including humans, can go into torporLargely study mammalian species due to the similarities with humansThey work with RNA-Seq dataStudies on traumatic cardiovascular events (heart attacks) for hibernating species show that they may be resistant to damage caused by...

Joining host Dr. Robert Hughes today on this inaugural episode of Translating Aging is our distinguished guest, Dr. Eric Verdin. Dr. Verdin is the president and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, where his research primarily focuses on the relationship between aging and the immune system, and how immune aging is regulated by nutrition. He is also a Professor of Medicine at UCSF.Dr. Verdin begins by sharing his medical background, including his early research on HIV transcription and what drew him to the field of aging. He discusses NAD Metabolism, its connection to the regulation of sirtuins, and his research on why NAD levels decrease during aging, which has a deleterious effect on a variety of organs. Dr. Verdin answers questions about whether NAD supplementation could be helpful in fighting aging and disease, the emergence of startup companies in the Bay Area that are attempting to address aging directly, and the challenges of conducting research on aging when it is not yet defined as a disease. He talks about establishing the world’s first Center for Female Reproductive Longevity and Equality after being approached by Nicole Shanahan (wife of Sergey Brin) about the connection between early infertility and the aging process. In addition, Dr. Verdin explains why the link between health span and life span may be more connected than we think, whether we can ever reach a life expectancy of 115 years or more in humans, and why he believes this period in time will later be viewed as the birth of a whole new age of biology and health.To learn more about Dr. Eric Verdin, the Buck Institute, and their cutting-edge research to help people live better longer, visit BuckInstitute.org.Episode Highlights:Dr. Eric Verdin’s professional background, medical education and experienceBackground in virology and evolution to field of agingHis work studying HIV transcription led to research on biology of agingMost compelling questions facing aging research&nbsp;Molecular study of aging as a field is less than 30 years oldNumber of hallmarks of aging seem to be happening independently of each other and we do not yet have a sense of the hierarchy of these hallmarksChronic inflammation is a key aspect of the aging process, but was not listed in that collection of hallmarksDeveloping a better understanding of the different manifestations of aging and how they are relatedWorking on one aspect of aging influences the otherNAD Metabolism and its connection to the regulation of sirtuins&nbsp;Decrease in NAD levels with age has deleterious consequences on a variety of organsSalvage pathway, CD38 Molecule, and PARP1 may play a roleDiseases that involve chronic DNA damage and NAD depletion offer insightNAD supplementation to help fight against aging and diseaseNAD precursors nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) have been shown to alleviate some of the complications associated with aging in animal models&nbsp;Questions about whether these supplements will be truly and rigorously tested to ensure efficacyEmergence of other startups that are focusing on aging research has created a number of amazing opportunities for translation - studying the process in humans and molecular pathways in particularDr. Verdin has helped launch startup companies Napa Therapeutics and BHB TherapeuticsChallenge that aging itself is not recognized as disease and how this impacts the ability to conduct clinical research on itExample of Unity Biotechnology, which targets cellular senescenceAlternative idea is to identify a series of novel indications that are clearly linked to aging, such as Frailty and...

Description:On Translating Aging, we talk with the worldwide community of researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors who are moving longevity science from the lab to the clinic. We bring you a commanding view of the entire field, in the words of the people and companies who are moving it forward today. The podcast is sponsored by BioAge labs, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies to extend human healthspan by targeting the molecular causes of aging.