Startup secures $5.3m seed funding to capitalize on 100+ rejuvenation genes identified in genome-wide CRISPR screen.
Longevity biotech Clock.bio has secured $5.3 million in seed funding to support its mission to extend human healthspan via the self-rejuvenation mechanisms present in stem cells. The company also revealed it has completed its initial objective of decoding the biology of rejuvenation across the entire human genome, leading to the discovery of over 100 genes that form what it is calling an “Atlas of Rejuvenation Factors.”
Based at the Milner Therapeutics Institute at the University of Cambridge, Clock.bio has been working with human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which have a unique capacity to reverse aging. In contrast to somatic cells, which age irreversibly, stem cells can naturally rejuvenate.
Using a proprietary aging model that induces aging in iPSCs, Clock.bio has been able to replicate the cellular characteristics of aging within these cells, activating an intrinsic self-rejuvenation mechanism, allowing the cells to repair aging hallmarks and return to a youthful, healthy state. The company aims to unlock the genetic underpinnings of the cellular rejuvenation process and translate these insights into clinical applications.
“This novel platform identifies gene candidates that are causally relevant for cell rejuvenation, encompassing pathways like DNA repair, epigenetic resetting, telomere restoration, and mitochondrial function, providing a full genome-wide analysis of rejuvenation factors,” Markus Gstöttner, CEO of Clock.bio, told us.
By conducting a genome-wide CRISPR screen, Clock.bio used single-cell RNA-sequencing on over three million cells, generating a massive 20 terabytes dataset. From this data, the company was able to decode the rejuvenation mechanism present in human stem cells. The resulting Atlas of Rejuvenation Factors consists of more than 100 genes that play a critical role in regulating this process.
“Of the 100+ genes identified, some are known in the aging biology field, while others have not been previously associated with rejuvenation,” said Gstöttner. “Most of the genes identified increase rejuvenation after being knocked out, meaning that pharmacological inhibition using small drugs will likely lead to the same rejuvenation outcome.”
The company’s hypothesis is that by understanding the genes responsible for rejuvenation, it may be possible to reverse some of the cellular hallmarks of aging, potentially repurposing existing drugs to extend human healthspan.
“Our vision is to extend human healthspan by several years, in line with growing longevity,” said Gstöttner.
Clock.bio is now focused on validating the identified genes in somatic cells, investigating the biological pathways they control, and linking these pathways to specific disease indications. Gstöttner said that the company is now focused on validating and prioritizing targets that can be modulated via small molecule chemical inhibitors.
“Bioinformatic analysis of associations between targets, diseases, and aging hallmark associations, together with pharmacological validation in human primary tissue has enabled clock.bio with a prioritized set of potential targets and drugs ready for pre-clinical work,” he told us. “This has opened opportunities in both de novo drug development and drug repurposing, for which we’re open to speaking with potential pharma, VC, and biotech partners.”
According to Gstöttner, Clock.bio is “actively exploring” partnerships with biotech and pharma companies for potential target identification, and said the company would also be open to publishing its data “when the time is right.”
The funding round, which brings the total raised by the company to $9.3 million, was led by LocalGlobe, with contributions from BlueYard Capital, Onsight Ventures and Dr Jonathan Milner, the founder of Abcam. The funding raised will support Clock.bio’s continuing research and help drive the validation and prioritization of genetic targets that can be translated into therapeutic treatments.
“The company’s atlas holds the potential to open up several new routes to treating age-related diseases,” said LocalGlobe’s Ferdi Sigona.
