Author: YL
VDP-16: Korolchuk Lab - Autophagy activators.
VDP-16: Korolchuk Lab - Autophagy activators.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0xc6b8c449b4ba7ab145f77d871d14d80c77be5fbfac1489855a05de0e112b3ac0
Brief: The VDP-16 project from the Korolchuk lab aims to discover new autophagy activators through screening a library of natural compounds to combat aging and related diseases.
Overview: The VDP-16 project proposed by the Korolchuk lab aims to combat aging and related diseases by activating the autophagy pathway. Autophagy is a process where cells clear damaged components, and its function diminishes with aging. The project simulates lysosomal dysfunction using Npc1 mutant cell models, which obstructs the final stage of autophagy, affecting cell survival. The Korolchuk lab plans to screen using a unique library of natural compounds and synthesize derivatives of these compounds to identify their biological targets. The project employs a high-throughput cell death-based screening system capable of rapidly identifying genuine autophagy activators. The project team consists of Viktor Korolchuk, Jóhannes Reynisson, and Konstantin Volcho, who have extensive experience in cell biology, drug discovery, and organic chemistry.
Extended understanding:
YL Comment: Immune activation can be achieved through alternating hot and cold treatments in hot springs, which is commonly practiced in athletes' post-training recovery. However, enhancing the autophagic function of damaged cells is difficult through external forces, and with aging, the autophagy function gradually weakens. Autophagy activators have broad commercial prospects when transformed into anti-aging health products. All VITA token holders are potential consumers.
VDP-17: Collaboration with Crowd Funded Cures (redevelopment of effective generics).
VDP-17: Collaboration with CrowdFundedCures.org.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x339640e0ae12bd2ff4980c69281dac5c7ecc084ba65ac148c37918effd01acdc
Brief: VitaDAO provides $40,000 in funding to support a feasibility study for Crowd Funded Cures.
Overview: The VDP-17 proposal aims to address the repositioning of generic drugs and nutritional supplements, this research aims to re-screen 20,000 generic drugs approved by the FDA that have expired patents or are no longer maintained.
Extended understanding:
YL Comment: Repurposing existing expired patent drugs can significantly reduce the cost and time of developing new drugs. The model of CrowdFundedCures enables these drugs to undergo clinical trials without the need for high patent protection, thereby accelerating the market entry process.
VDP-18 Jonathan An - Using aging science to reverse periodontal disease.
VDP-18: Jonathan An - Using aging science to reverse periodontal disease.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x8464713774628fa0af6262478f7c1ecccb0a3272cc72f6324183f598e9f29007
Brief: Provided up to $300,000 in funding for Jonathan An's research project aimed at exploring the possibility of reversing age-related periodontal disease using Geroscience approaches.
Overview: The VDP-18 proposal aims to provide funding for Dr. Jonathan An's research, which seeks to develop new treatments for age-related periodontal disease using small molecule inhibitors targeting the PI3K/NFkB/mTOR signaling pathway. This research is based on a paper published in eLife that demonstrated positive effects in mouse models for treating age-related periodontal osteoporosis using oral rapamycin. The research team plans to test five candidate drugs over an 8-week study and compare them with rapamycin. If systemic treatment proves effective, the research will further explore local delivery methods for these drugs. Additionally, the impact of these drugs on neurodegeneration and cognitive function will be assessed. The expected outcomes of the research will provide important preclinical intellectual property (IP) data for non-surgical treatment methods for periodontal disease and may lead to the establishment of new companies.
Extended understanding:
YL Comment: The global trend of an aging population is significant, with projections estimating that by 2050, the population aged 65 and older will reach 2 billion. This large elderly demographic has an increasing demand for health management, disease prevention, and treatment, with assets generated including clinical intellectual property (IP) data and potential drug delivery. Pfizer is the investor behind this, and the drug production process has no shortage of channels.
VDP-21 discovers new mitochondrial autophagy activators with Evandro Fang.
VDP-21 discovers new mitochondrial autophagy activators with Evandro Fang.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0xc46ee26737580c579c383c61f03ac7291e4a5cc243a6b334e1b8b41ab036afe3e
Brief: The research team led by Evandro Fang has proposed a study on discovering new apoptotic activators to promote healthy brain aging and longevity, which has been voted on and funded.
Overview: This research project quickly identifies new Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug candidates through artificial intelligence (Fang-AI) and laboratory validation platforms (including C. elegans, mice, and iPSCs). Dr. Evandro Fang's research team was one of the first to propose the critical role of defective apoptosis in the onset and progression of AD, demonstrating that inducing apoptosis in various AD animal models can inhibit memory loss. The team established the Fang-AI laboratory validation platform and successfully screened two lead compounds as drug candidates for AD. The project plans to use WP1 to screen for new apoptotic activators from the compound library of the Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine (FIMM) using Fang-AI and laboratory validation platform and to conduct AI structural modifications and laboratory validation for two natural compounds, EFF-AA and EFF-BA through WP2. The total cost of the project is expected to be between $2.5 million - $4 million, and the DAO will own 100% of the project and related intellectual property.
Extended understanding:
YL Comment: The biology of aging and Alzheimer's disease are both unsolved mysteries; any effective outcome during the journey is a valuable asset for the future.
VDP-32 hyperspectral imager for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
VDP-32 hyperspectral imager for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x8df2891d818420c366cf9c4c48ad576db87e0dc292c16fc9d8caa7be3d5fae52
Brief: This proposal aims to raise €30,000 to fund the transistor camera technology developed by Mantis Photonics, which aims to screen for Alzheimer’s disease early by detecting retinal amyloid beta peptides.
Overview: Alzheimer’s disease is a leading cause of dementia globally, and currently, there is no simple early diagnostic method. Mantis Photonics AB is developing a transistor camera for retinal imaging to screen for Alzheimer's disease early. This camera can be installed on conventional retinal imagers, and its expected cost will be much lower than existing products on the market, facilitating widespread adoption. The project has already obtained two patent protections and has a peer-reviewed proof-of-concept study supporting its efficacy.
Extended understanding:
YL Comment: The biology of aging and Alzheimer's disease are both unsolved mysteries; any effective outcome during the journey is a valuable asset for the future.
VDP-39 funds the Longevity Hackers movie.
VDP-39 funds the Longevity Hackers movie.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x8df2891d818420c366cf9c4c48ad576db87e0dc292c16fc9d8caa7be3d5fae52
Brief: The VitaDAO community voted through proposal VDP-39 to invest $100,000 in Michal Siewierski's documentary (Longevity Hackers) to promote scientific research in the field of healthy longevity and raise public awareness and interest in the field.
Overview: The VDP-39 proposal requests up to $100,000 in funding for the documentary (Longevity Hackers), directed by Michal Siewierski, aimed at promoting research in the field of healthy longevity and lifespan extension and bringing additional exposure to the industry to accelerate research on anti-aging drugs, therapies, and surgeries. The VitaDAO community and ideological working group have successfully raised awareness of healthy longevity and lifespan extension research through various means, including online articles, Clubhouse journal club meetings, Twitter spaces, and YouTube content. However, this awareness is primarily limited to those already interested in aging or the Web3 space. This project aims to expand the visibility of the community and support the growth and educational themes of the community through investment in the film and expected financial returns. (Longevity Hackers) follows Emmy-nominated director Michal Siewierski exploring the latest research and scientific breakthroughs in the fields of aging and healthy longevity. The film is a $2 million project, including promotion, distribution, and high-quality production costs. So far, the project has received funding from LongevityTech.fund and other investors, and filming has begun in the past six months, which will shorten the time to market and the time for investors to start seeing returns.
YL Comment: Film distribution remains the mainstream method of adoption for the public; although time passes, films can settle for future generations to unearth!
VDP-46 Repair Biotechnologies.
VDP-46 Repair Biotechnologies.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x843c0e546ecfdcfb850ba00e88bcfd8c4a1e9204f838342dbbf98a81606a50f6
Brief: Repair Biotechnologies is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing a universal cell therapy for treating atherosclerosis, aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and improving the effectiveness of existing drug treatments.
Overview: The company focuses on developing a new type of atherosclerosis therapy that modifies cells to safely break down excess cholesterol. This therapy, based on universal cells, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and improve the effectiveness of existing drug treatments. The company's technology has shown encouraging results in cell lines and mouse models and is currently working to complete the development of the candidate therapy and seek approval for clinical trials. Repair Biotechnologies' treatment method is based on enhanced macrophages that can break down cholesterol and is expected to be applicable to other cell types and disease indications. Since its inception, the company has raised over $2.7 million and is conducting a new round of funding to support preclinical research and clinical trials. This proposal has undergone scientific and commercial evaluation by the Longevity-Dealflow working group and has received decentralized voting support from VITA token holders.
Extended understanding:
YL: According to WHO data, cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally. Therefore, the demand for effective treatment options for atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia will continue to grow.
VDP-85 HDAX Therapy.
VDP-85 HDAX Therapy.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x3f1bf4f88a3e122a446d68c91dcb10a9db0267bb31cbbc11f09fcc46335eb72a
Brief: HDAX Therapeutics is a preclinical drug discovery company focused on developing new small molecule drugs for treating neuropathology and inflammation. Its developed HDAC6 inhibitors exhibit higher brain blood-brain barrier penetration and lower toxicity.
Overview: HDAX Therapeutics is a preclinical drug discovery company based at the University of Toronto, focused on developing treatments for pathologies caused by histone deacetylases (HDACs), such as neuropathy and inflammation. The company’s primary R&D target is HDAC6, whose inhibition has shown potential to extend lifespan in animal models. HDAX has designed novel small molecule drugs with excellent selectivity and potential through its unique dual coordination binding mechanism, overcoming the drawbacks of traditional HDAC6 inhibitors, such as weak binding, non-specific toxicity, and poor pharmacokinetic properties. The primary drug candidate of HDAX has demonstrated good brain blood-brain barrier penetration and safety in mouse models.
HDAX is composed of a group of experienced scientists and entrepreneurs with a strong background in drug discovery and startups. The company was founded in the lab of Professor Patrick Gunning, a renowned chemistry professor and serial entrepreneur. HDAX has won multiple startup competitions, raised over $340,000, and has patented its primary compound.
Extended understanding:
YL: In layman's terms, this area addresses the painful symptoms experienced by cancer patients during chemotherapy, as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease, etc.
VDP-89 ExcepGen Inc - RNA therapy for longevity.
VDP-89 ExcepGen Inc - RNA therapy for longevity.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x139c0b0736773e2b4b69123117e453c7f7ca947ff2584b30788340fb84c42de4
Brief: ExcepGen Inc is developing an RNA therapy platform called RNAx, aimed at improving the efficacy of RNA vaccines by optimizing RNA delivery and regulating cell signals, particularly for difficult-to-target antigens like the universal influenza virus.
Overview: ExcepGen Inc leverages its innovative RNAx platform to develop a new generation of vaccines and therapeutics by improving RNA delivery and cell signaling regulation. The RNAx technology can produce a regulatory protein that reduces stress and endogenous immune signals by slowing signal transmission between the nucleus and cytoplasm, thereby enhancing the expression efficiency of RNA payloads. The company is applying this technology to produce RNA vaccines targeting difficult-to-handle antigens such as the influenza virus.
ExcepGen has demonstrated the effectiveness of its RNAx platform in experiments, significantly increasing RNA expression in both mice and human BJ cells while reducing or eliminating the release of harmful inflammatory factors. The company is focused on developing a universal whole spore influenza vaccine and plans to expand its product line to include vaccines, protein replacements, and gene editing.
The ExcepGen team has a strong technical background, educated at Oxford University and founded the company to bring reliability to gene drugs. The company is raising funds, including $100,000 allocated for the VitaDAO community to fund lab research, scientific operations, and immunogenicity studies in animal labs.
Extended understanding:
YL: This is a universal influenza vaccine, with the highlight being that it can be used not only in the context of flu infection but also for prevention, such as modulating immune responses.
VDP-112 Cyclarity - Novel cyclodextrin molecules for various age-related diseases.
VDP-112 Cyclarity - Novel cyclodextrin molecules for various age-related diseases.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0xeafce7c4610f9398048d7ed93d0bc5a083956224eec5f4e8f7ed5152f9f631d1
Brief: Cyclarity Therapeutics is a startup biotechnology company developing a novel cyclodextrin capsule drug based on computational design, aimed at extracting harmful biomolecules such as oxidized cholesterol accumulated in conditions like cardiovascular diseases.
Overview: Cyclarity Therapeutics (CTx) is developing a cyclodextrin capsule drug capable of extracting harmful biomolecules accumulated during aging from cells and tissues. Their primary drug target is oxidized cholesterol, particularly 7-ketocholesterol (7KC), which is a significant factor in various age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, strokes, and cirrhosis. CTx is also developing a computational platform combining artificial intelligence and machine learning to design new cyclodextrin molecules targeting any goal. Their drug candidate UDP-003 effectively binds 7KC, reversing bubble cell formation in humans and restoring their phagocytic function. Pharmacological studies of UDP-003 indicate it has a short half-life and high bioavailability. Currently, CTx is preparing for the first phase of clinical trials and plans to conduct a second phase clinical trial to assess the overall effect of its drug strategy. CTx has completed good manufacturing practices (GMP) drug production and is conducting general toxicology studies under good laboratory practices (GLP). They have completed a $3.95 million seed funding round and are raising $3-4 million in bridge funding to prepare for and begin the first phase of clinical trials. CTx's team includes scientists and management with extensive R&D experience.
Extended understanding:
YL: "A single pill cures a hundred diseases," UDP-003 can be applied to various other diseases such as AMD, NAFLD, Alzheimer's disease, and COPD, among others. AMD primarily affects vision, especially in the elderly. NAFLD is a disease associated with fatty liver, often linked to metabolic syndrome. COPD is a chronic lung disease that primarily affects respiratory function and is often associated with smoking.
VDP-120 Oisín Biotechnologies - Gene drug for health and longevity.
VDP-120 Oisín Biotechnologies - Gene drug for health and longevity.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0x6889bb02f936c73bf82d4f181e4cdd36efce5fabb7b49f47f80a6e0108d9c023
Brief: Oisín Biotechnologies is a company focused on developing gene medicine solutions to treat age-related diseases, with its technology platform Fusogenix Proteo-Lipid Vehicle (PLV) capable of effectively delivering specific DNA and RNA to treat age-related diseases such as muscle atrophy.
Overview: Oisín Biotechnologies is a company dedicated to developing gene medicine treatments to address aging and related diseases. Its primary goal is to enhance the physical strength of the elderly by increasing muscle mass to prevent and treat age-related diseases such as muscle atrophy. The company's technology platform Fusogenix PLV can safely and cost-effectively deliver specific genetic material and has already demonstrated its potential in selectively eliminating fat cells and insights into cells in animal and human tissue experiments. Oisín's research results show that a single treatment can significantly increase muscle size and physical strength. Furthermore, the company has conducted high-dose tolerance studies in non-human primates, and its PLV platform has been safety-validated in human phase II clinical trials of COVID vaccines.
Oisín faces significant opportunities as the growth of the global aging population leads to an expected increase in age-related diseases. The company's Follistatin gene therapy is believed to effectively treat muscle atrophy and has the potential to extend lifespan. Oisín possesses a broad range of intellectual property, including exclusive rights to the Fusogenix PLV patent portfolio and multiple patents related to its specific goods and therapeutic applications. The company is seeking funding to advance its research and has already reserved $50k of SAFE investment for the VitaDAO community to facilitate collaboration between both parties. Oisín's budget plan shows a total expenditure of nearly $4.6 million on R&D, personnel salaries, consulting, lab leasing and insurance, legal, and intellectual property.
Oisín's team consists of seasoned leaders from the biotechnology industry, including CEO and founder Matthew Scholz, who has years of experience founding and managing biotech companies, along with other executives and advisors with rich research and development experience.
Extended understanding:
YL: The known methods for muscle gain currently are diet and exercise. Oisín stimulates muscle growth through biotechnology without relying on traditional exercise, highlighting the issue of muscle loss faced by those with disabilities, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes during treatment.
VDP-126 [Funding] Remedium Bio.
VDP-126 [Funding] Remedium Bio.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:vote.vitadao.eth/proposal/0xc4cb21033ebddc07a54ebc4226cfc8dffdda3eb800743bfbf64279d056f36add
Brief: Remedium Bio is a regenerative medicine biotechnology company that has developed the only adjustable-dose gene therapy platform technology, Prometheus™.
Overview: Remedium Bio focuses on age-related diseases and major unmet clinical needs, with its leading product being regenerative gene therapy for osteoarthritis, which can increase the expression of Fibroblast Growth Factor 18 (FGF18) through a single injection, promoting the formation and maintenance of healthy cartilage. The Prometheus™ platform overcomes the limitations of current gene therapy technologies by providing adjustable dosing treatment options, which can replace multiple muscle injections with a single injection, significantly reducing treatment costs. Additionally, Remedium Bio is developing single-injection therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes, which have shown the same efficacy as daily injections of Exenatide in animal models while reducing drug-related side effects. The company is raising $15 million in Series A funding to bring three key assets to the clinical trial stage and has already entered the clinical efficacy verification stage through preliminary fundraising. Remedium Bio has an experienced team and strong intellectual property protection, with its technology and products expected to have a significant impact in multiple fields, including arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and other anti-aging treatments.
Extended understanding:
YL: Arthritis, diabetes, obesity, etc., are prevalent diseases with wide application ranges. Conclusion:
This was first organized on December 19, 2023, in the DeSci.money Mirror draft box and is being reorganized today, hoping to assist your DeSci investment journey. DYOR!
