Latest news with #CarinaKern
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Breakthrough' new drug could stop ageing and halt cell self-destruction
An 'extraordinary' new class of drugs are set to undergo human trials after researchers believe they could become the first medication to reverse the effects of ageing Scientists believe they've developed a drug that could halt human ageing and reverse the impacts of 'cell death', with trials due to kick off later this year. Cell death is a natural, and essential, process that takes various forms. One such form is necrosis, an unregulated type of cell death that can lead to premature cellular destruction. During necrosis, affected cells swell until they burst, spilling their contents into the surrounding area, potentially causing chronic inflammation, genetic instability, and in some instances, tumours. This process has been associated with numerous diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, various cancers, and kidney disease. The world-renowned cancer journal, Oncogene, highlighted in May that a study into kidney disease could help researchers gain a better understanding of how necrosis operates and how to fight it, reports the Express. Dr Carina Kern, formerly a geneticist at University College London and now CEO of biotech firm LinkGevity, led the study. She believes a new category of drugs, dubbed 'anti-nectrotics', could be the first medication used to reverse the effects of ageing. Part of Dr Kern's motivation for her involvement in the project stems from her childhood experience of witnessing her grandmother's health rapidly decline due to an age-related illness. "At the time, I could not comprehend how I was so easily cured of nearly any injury, and I would be back to normal. But with her, the doctors just said 'you can't intervene-it's just ageing,'" she explained. Years later, after observing such deterioration, Dr Kern formulated the "Blueprint Theory" of ageing, which delves into the roots of ageing and identifies points for potential intervention to stave off illness. A key element identified in her research is necrosis, which Kern asserts is fundamentally a "loss of calcium-ion gradients." She elaborates: "Levels of calcium inside the cell are typically 10,000 to 100,000 times lower than outside. Calcium is a key signalling molecule, meaning it controls lots of different processes within your cell. "And so upon stress, you lose this regulation and then you're initiating multiple pathways in a heightened and really destructive manner within the cell." Although necrosis has been known for over a century and was further examined under microscopes in the 1970s, there hasn't been significant advancement in preventing its role in severe diseases. However, Dr Kern, alongside a team of renal experts, might be on the verge of a discovery targeting kidney disease that could also have implications for anti-ageing treatments. Dr Kern said: "It was thought it was just too complex a process to intervene in. What we've managed to identify for the first time is that you can block necrosis, but you have to block more than one molecular target... When we did that, we saw up to 90 per cent of suppression of necrosis." His colleague and co-author of the study, Dr Keith Siew, commented: "The by far the most in-demand organ, and the one you're most likely to die on a waiting list for. "Some people think dialysis just fixes the problem, but the mortality rate of dialysis is that every year you're on dialysis, you lose 10 per cent of survival." Having collaborated with NASA to explore how space travel impacts renal function, particularly when astronauts are exposed to cosmic radiation beyond Earth's magnetosphere, Dr Siew noted:. "Only 24 people have left the protection of Earth's magnetic field. You might feel fine on the way, but will you need dialysis on the way back?". He suggested that "Anti-necrotics could be a way to make those tissues and organs resilient enough to withstand that damage and pause cell death." Despite their groundbreaking work, both Kern and Siew maintain a cautious stance, describing themselves as "professional sceptics" regarding the potential success of the anti-necrotic drug, with clinical trials set to commence in 2025. Dr Siew emphasised the need for robust evidence: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," he said. "Until that data is rock solid...a lot of people will view this skeptically and rightfully so."
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LinkGevity Awarded Innovate UK Smart Grant for Anti-Necrotic™ Research to Prevent Kidney Deterioration
LONDON, March 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LinkGevity, an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on revolutionising the treatment of ageing, today announces it has been awarded a Smart Grant by the National Innovation Agency of the UK Government, Innovate UK. The Smart Grant will be used in a one-year project involving the company's Anti-Necrotic™ technology, specifically around acute tubular necrosis (ATN), which is a leading cause of kidney dysfunction, degeneration and ageing. Financial details are not disclosed. By preserving organ function at the molecular level, through addressing the core mechanisms of unprogrammed cell death in ATN, LinkGevity could transform treatment pathways for patients at risk of kidney failure. Dr Carina Kern, CEO and co-founder of LinkGevity, said: 'Being selected for an Innovate UK Smart Grant, where the competition is tough, is another endorsement of the potential of our approach. Necrosis has been an unresolved challenge in medical science for decades. It is a key driver of ageing biology and the loss of resilience with age as well as age-related diseases such as kidney disease and damage. This project will help us deliver a transformative solution that improves long-term organ health. With our Anti-Necrotic™ technology, we are pioneering a solution that could protect vital organs and the kidney in particular, from irreversible damage and ageing.' Serena Kern-Libera, LinkGevity's COO and co-founder, added: 'We are thrilled to have secured another note-worthy grant, which supports us in bringing our Anti-Necrotic™ technology to patients. As with last month's announcement about our selection for the prestigious Francis Crick Institute KQ Labs programme, and our inclusion in the NASA Space-H programme, we're delighted to be building momentum around our Anti-Necrotic™ approach and pushing the boundaries of innovation in medical science.' The kidneys are among the most vulnerable organs to necrosis-related damage. Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2024), rising sharply in the last two decades due to ageing populations and increasing comorbidities. Patients with kidney disease have few treatment options beyond dialysis or transplantation, both of which come with severe limitations, including high costs to healthcare systems, poor quality of life, long waiting times and high rejection rates. Traditional drug discovery approaches, which generally focus on single therapeutics for specific diseases, have struggled with age-related diseases which are by nature multifactorial. LinkGevity's technology platform seeks to disrupt this model by developing therapeutics that target key pathways across multiple diseases, offering the potential for a more comprehensive and effective approach to preventing age-related deterioration. About LinkGevityLinkGevity is an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on revolutionising the treatment of ageing. Guided by its proprietary Blueprint Theory of Ageing—developed by Dr. Carina Kern in collaboration with leading doctors and longevity experts—LinkGevity identifies and targets key 'pathological pathways.' These pathways are the molecular 'source' of destructive cascades underlying multiple age-related conditions and biological decline. By precisely targeting these pathological pathways with broad-spectrum therapeutics, LinkGevity aims to halt age-related deterioration. The company's flagship therapeutic is a first-in-class Anti-Necrotic™, which targets one such pathological pathway: necrosis. It has earned a prestigious Horizon Europe grant from the European Union alongside UK government funding. LinkGevity was also selected as one of only 12 companies globally for the NASA/Microsoft Space-Health Program, due to the Anti-Necrotic's™ potential in preventing accelerated ageing and tissue degeneration in astronauts. Necrosis, derived from the Greek word nékrōsis, meaning 'death', refers to the uncontrolled and irreversible death of cells, tissues, and organs, ultimately leading to tissue degeneration. Necrosis has long been a critical barrier in the treatment of chronic and age-related diseases and has hindered advancement in scientific fields such as bioengineering, cryopreservation, and organ preservation. The company plans to initiate a flagship clinical trial later this year, using an accelerated ageing model in the kidney. Based at the Babraham Research Campus, affiliated with the University of Cambridge, UK, LinkGevity is committed to transforming healthcare through cutting-edge science and innovation. For more information see the website and follow the company on LinkedIn. Media Contacts LinkGevitySerena Kern-Libera, LinkGevity's COO and co-founderserena@ Scius CommunicationsKatja Stout +447789435990katja@ Daniel Gooch +447747875479daniel@ in to access your portfolio
