Latest news with #probiotic
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
NorthStrive Biosciences Announces Completion of Phase I Strategic Review for EL-22 Targeting Muscle Loss Associated with GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs and Age-Related Sarcopenia
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northstrive Biosciences Inc. ('Northstrive'), a subsidiary of PMGC Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (the 'Company,' 'PMGC,' 'we,' or 'our'), today announced the completion of a Phase I strategic research and literature synthesis for EL-22 (formerly BLS-M22), its first-in-class oral myostatin-engineered probiotic. The analysis, conducted in collaboration with Yuva Biosciences and supported by AI-based scientific review technology from Yuva Biosciences' MitoNova™, provided valuable insights into EL-22's proposed mechanism of action and will help guide further exploration into its potential to address critical unmet needs in muscle-wasting conditions, including GLP-1-associated atrophy and age-related sarcopenia. EL-22 is leveraging a myostatin-engineered probiotic approach to address obesity's pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists. The oral biologic is designed to induce a targeted immune response against myostatin, a key negative regulator of muscle growth. Unlike traditional injectable antibodies, EL-22 leverages genetically engineered Lactobacillus casei to stimulate the gut immune system, offering a convenient, patient-friendly oral delivery method with potential safety and efficacy advantages. Key Highlights from the Report: About Northstrive Biosciences Inc. Northstrive Biosciences Inc., a PMGC Holdings Inc. company, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and acquisition of cutting-edge aesthetic medicines. Northstrive's lead asset, EL-22, leverages an engineered probiotic approach to address obesity's pressing issue of preserving muscle while on weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists. For more information, please visit About Yuva Biosciences, Inc. Yuva Biosciences is a longevity company harnessing the cutting edge of mitochondrial science to address the root cause of aging. By partnering with consumer brands and biotech innovators, Yuva Biosciences develops solutions for aging-related concerns including hair loss, skin wrinkles, and several other conditions driven by a decline in mitochondrial function. The company is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information, please visit About PMGC Holdings Inc. PMGC Holdings Inc. is a diversified holding company that manages and grows its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, investments, and development across various industries. Currently, our portfolio consists of three wholly owned subsidiaries: Northstrive Biosciences Inc., PMGC Research Inc., and PMGC Capital LLC. We are committed to exploring opportunities in multiple sectors to maximize growth and value. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as 'believes,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'potential,' 'would' and 'future' or similar expressions such as 'look forward' are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, activities of regulators and future regulations and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described more fully in PMGC's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including the 'Risk Factors' section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 28, 2025, and its other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Except to the extent required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. IR Contact: [email protected]
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Scientists Make Probiotic That Could Help Pregnant Women Reduce Mercury Poisoning And Birth Defects
Packages of bluefin tuna sashimi on display. (Photo by) Getty Images A newly-engineered probiotic can help reduce levels of mercury and make it safer to eat fish, according to new research from UCLA and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The group of researchers used a gut bacterium to engineer a probiotic fed to mice with a diet high in bluefish tuna and found that it resulted in lower levels of methylmercury – a more concentrated and toxic form of mercury – than would have occurred otherwise. When tested on pregnant mice, the researchers similarly found lower levels of methylmercury in maternal and fetal tissues and lower signs of mercury toxicity in the fetal brain. While the probiotic didn't fully prevent methylmercury from accumulating in the mice's bodies, it reduced the potency of methylmercury enough to prevent adverse outcomes in the fetal brain, said Elaine Hsiao, an author of the paper and a biology professor at UCLA. This means that there's potential for an engineered probiotic like the one used in the study to make it safer for people, including pregnant women and children, to consume fish typically high in mercury, such as tuna and swordfish, said Hsiao. Researchers specifically tested the probiotic on pregnant mice because of the potential implications for pregnant humans. Mercury is especially toxic to pregnant women, fetuses and children in early ages, according to the World Health Organization, and is commonly ingested through fish and other seafood. When mercury is in the ocean, it transforms into methylmercury, and as bigger fish eat smaller fish with methylmercury levels, the overall mercury levels compound. This means that when humans consume these bigger fish, they risk consuming mercury levels that are dangerous to human health. The WHO estimates that between 1 and 17 out of 1000 children in some subsistence fishing populations showed cognitive impacts caused by consuming fish containing mercury. More than 75,000 newborns in the United States each year may have increased risk of learning disabilities associated with exposure to methylmercury in the womb, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated. 'The hope is that in the long run, this microbiome-based treatment can be an option for people who experience high methylmercury exposure,' Hsiao said, pointing to people who rely on fish as a primary part of their diet (one example of this is people who live in Asia and Oceania and depend more heavily on fish than do folks in other parts of the world). Hsiao also said the probiotic could help people who live in areas with power plants and mines and are exposed to mercury through their environment. The study was funded partially by federal funds from the National Institutes of Health, which Hsiao said is critical to continue research like this. The researchers are now exploring the ways in which the probiotic can be more effective, Hsiao said, with the goal of moving toward human studies.
