Rubedo Life Sciences' Drug Discovery Platform, ALEMBIC™, Helps Identify Senescent or 'Zombie' Neurons in New Study Linking Neuropathic Pain and Aging Published in Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal Nature Neuroscience
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc. (Rubedo), an AI-driven, clinical-stage biotech focused on discovering and rapidly developing selective cellular rejuvenation medicines targeting aging cells, today announced that using open source codes integrated in the company's broader propriety drug discovery platform, ALEMBIC™, helped to identify senescent neurons in a new study that found senescent neurons drive chronic pain with injury and age. 1 Senescent cells, often called 'zombie' cells, arise as the results of cellular stress and damage. These senescent cells do not die but undergo cellular changes, including secreting pro-inflammatory factors, thereby potentially contributing to inflammatory responses within the body. 1 The study, led by Stanford University scientists, Vivianne Tawfik, MD, PhD, and Lauren Donovan, PhD, and co-authored by Rubedo team members, including Chief Scientific Officer Marco Quarta, PhD, and Chief Technology Officer Alex Laslavic, was published in the May 14 th edition of Nature Neuroscience, a prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal, and will be featured on the cover of the May issue.
"In this study, we were able to show for the first time that neurons can become senescent, fueling neuropathic pain in both mouse models and human dorsal root ganglia tissue," said Dr. Marco Quarta, Chief Scientific Officer of Rubedo Life Sciences.
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Dr. Quarta said, 'We know that senescent cells, which increase as people age, drive chronic degenerative diseases and conditions. In this study, we were able to show for the first time that neurons can become senescent, fueling neuropathic pain in both mouse models and human dorsal root ganglia tissue. The bioinformatic validation provided as part of our broader ALEMBIC™ platform with SenTeCh™ chemistry technology helped to uncover this link between aging and neuropathic pain, and further corroborates our experimental observations that treatments targeting these senescent cells could offer meaningful benefits for people experiencing age-related conditions.' 1
About the Study
In the study, researchers found that injury to peripheral axons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons results in sensory dysfunction, such as pain. This occurs at higher rates in aged individuals. Furthermore, cellular senescence is common to both aging and injury, and contributes to this sensory dysfunction. Elimination of senescent cells results in pain improvement, indicating a potential target for new pain therapeutics. 1
'Chronic pain continues to be an area with high unmet need, especially among older adults. In this study, aging markedly increased the burden of senescent or 'zombie' neurons, which in turn worsened neuropathic pain severity. These insights demonstrate that selective targeting of senescent-like neurons may lead to novel strategies for the management of chronic pain,' 1 said Vivianne, L. Tawfik, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and the senior author of the study. 'We appreciate the valuable support and expertise from the Rubedo team during this research.'
About Rubedo Life Sciences
Rubedo Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biotech developing a broad portfolio of innovative selective cellular rejuvenation medicines targeting aging cells that drive chronic age-related diseases. Our proprietary AI-driven ALEMBIC™ drug discovery platform is developing novel first-in-class small molecules to selectively target pathologic and senescent cells, which play a key role in the progression of pulmonary, dermatological, oncological, neurodegenerative, fibrotic, and other chronic disorders. Our lead drug candidate – RLS-1496, a potential first-in-class disease-altering GPX4 modulator – is set to begin Phase I clinical trials in Spring of 2025, marking the first ever GPX4 modulator to enter a human clinical trial. The Rubedo leadership team is composed of industry leaders and early pioneers in chemistry, AI technology, longevity science, and life sciences, with expertise in drug development and commercialization from both large pharmaceutical and leading biotechnology companies. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, USA, and has offices in Milan, Italy. For additional information, visit www.rubedolife.com.
1. Donovan, L.J., Brewer, C.L., Bond, S.F. et al. Aging and injury drive neuronal senescence in the dorsal root ganglia. Nat Neurosci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01954-x
2. Data on file, Rubedo Life Sciences, Sunnyvale, CA 94085.
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