Life Biosciences doses first patient in cellular reprogramming glaucoma trial
The trial marks a significant shift for cellular reprogramming, a technique gaining billions in investment from figures including Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman, though its efficacy in humans remains unproven.
Life Biosciences has administered its first dose to a volunteer in a clinical trial investigating cellular reprogramming as a treatment for glaucoma. The experimental therapy involves injecting a substance directly into the eye to regenerate nerves, with the broader aim of reversing age-related diseases. This development marks a significant transition for the field, moving from promising preclinical results in mice to human application.
The approach is designed to work by returning cells to a younger state. It is based on Nobel Prize-winning research demonstrating that four genetic factors can convert adult cells into stem cells. While previous longevity strategies, such as targeting telomere attrition and senolytics that clear "zombie cells," have seen mixed results or shutdowns, cellular reprogramming is currently attracting substantial capital.
Major investors including Yuri Milner, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman are backing companies in this space. Altos Labs, established in 2021 with $3 billion, focuses on reprogramming for rejuvenation. Retro Biosciences, supported by $180 million from Sam Altman, recently announced a valuation of $1.8 billion. NewLimit, backed by $435 million, plans to trial a liver-rejuvenating drug in people next year.
David Sinclair, the chairman and co-founder of Life Biosciences, hopes the treatment can reverse other diseases of aging, and potentially aging itself. The company recently secured $80 million to support its research. Sinclair has also announced plans to test a confidential oral reprogramming drug in a $101 million competition organised by the XPrize Foundation.
Despite the excitement and funding, it remains unknown whether cellular reprogramming will successfully reverse aging or treat age-related diseases in humans. The efficacy and safety of the planned oral drug are unproven, and the long-term outcomes of upcoming trials are uncertain. The field continues to watch closely as these early human studies proceed.
