About Us !
Everon Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 2010 with the goal of developing anti-aging medicines. Company’s scientific program and vision are based on principles of eradicating the cellular foundations of aging formulated Research Programming and Development of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the world’s oldest cancer research center. From the very beginning, the institute has been Everon’s supportive shareholder and a reliable partner, providing access to its rich technical infrastructure and its scientists and physicians. This strategic collaboration resulted in the development of pharmacological and immunological approaches to treatment of age-related frailty. Everon holds a unique position among recently launched anti-aging companies in its approach to the treatment of aging from all major R&D aspects : mechanistic understanding of aging process, access to targets, availability of proprietary dru g candidates, strong preclinical efficacy indications, the development of diagnostic tools and clinical strategy.
everon life sciences
- Our Approach-
Anti-aging therapeutics have long been a topic for fiction writers rather than pharmacologists. The situation has radically changed today, with aging treatment turning into a more and more realistic opportunity being explored by several recently launched companies. Everon’s approach is unique and comprehensive. Its major conceptual and technological cornerstones are summarized below :
- Aging is a physiologically programmed process that is pre-determined at the DNA level. Because of that, the onset of systemic physiological decline (frailty) occurs at a genetically defined age that varies across mammalian species.
- The accumulation of aging-associated frailty can occur independently of the acquisition of age-related diseases; however, the risk of the latter is increased in a frail organism and can accelerate aging.
- Molecular genetic mechanism identified by Everon researchers in partnership with Roswell Park Cancer Institute scientists serves as a program underlying aging. This mechanism explains the gradual accumulation of cellular and extracellular waste products that poison the microenvironment of aging tissues.
- The gradual accumulation of waste products with age exhausts the “waste removal” branches of the immune system; this in turn leads to its malfunction and to the development of sterile chronic inflammation.
- Aging can be quantitatively measured. Everon has implemented three robust diagnostic tools for detecting changes in physiological age; these tools are essential for assessing the efficacy of anti-aging dru gs :
- Frailty Index (FI) as a measure of age-related malfunction of all body components;
- A proprietary bioinformatics tool for the detection of aging biomarkers in DNA samples from somatic cells of human and mouse;
- An optical device combined with subcutaneous diagnostic assay for the functional assessment of objective biological age.
Based on the above, Everon has launched an R&D program aimed at (i) developing pharmacological agents (small molecules and immunotherapeutics) that can block or slow down the generation of age-related waste products, (ii) restoring or facilitating the efficacy of natural mechanisms removing accumulated waste and (iii) creating a diagnostic platform to accurately estimate the severity of aging-related frailty and efficacy of antiaging drugs.
Recently, Everon scientists discovered and patented a new cellular target likely to be the dominant root cause of systemic poisoning and inflammation. This sets the company apart from its main competitors who only pursue senolytics (agents eliminating senescent cells) as potential anti-aging drugs.
Currently, Everon is optimizing several lead compounds: small molecules and biologics that have already demonstrated a rejuvenation effect in aging animals, as measured by a lowered mouse FI (similar FI has recently been accepted by FDA as a measure of aging in the ongoing Metformin human trial). In preliminary experiments, rejuvenated animals live on average 25-30% longer, and this number is expected to increase as optimization continues.
Understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying aging has put the Everon-RPCI alliance into a unique position, enabling them, for the first time, to target the basic foundation of the endogenous aging program and to extend their R&D efforts – from treating or preventing aging-associated health decline – to the treatment and prevention of the aging program itself.
🔬 A Deep Dive into Aging Biology with Dr. Andrei Gudkov 🔬
Understanding Cellular Senescence :
A Potential Breakthrough in Noninvasive Biomarkers for Age-Related Diseases
Cellular senescence is a fundamental biological process in aging and various diseases. The accumulation of senescent cells in tissues has been linked to several age-related conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. While significant strides have been made in understanding senescence, identifying effective biomarkers to monitor and detect these cells has remained a challenge. Recent research sheds new light on this process, specifically focusing on oxidized vimentin and its potential as a biomarker for studying senescence and monitoring age-related illnesses.
What Is Cellular Senescence ?
Cellular senescence refers to a state in which cells cease to divide and grow but remain metabolically active. This phenomenon can occur as a result of various stressors, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, and telomere shortening. Senescent cells secrete pro-inflammatory factors, contributing to tissue dysfunction and the aging process.
The Role of Oxidized Vimentin in Senescence
One of the significant discoveries in recent studies is that senescent cells express a form of oxidized vimentin on their cell surface. Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein, plays an essential role in maintaining the structure of the cell. In senescent cells, vimentin undergoes a posttranslational modification, specifically malondialdehyde (MDA) modification at cysteine 328 (C328). This modification is a result of oxidative stress, a key player in aging and cellular damage.
The discovery of oxidized vimentin in senescent cells opens the door to new opportunities for understanding and detecting cellular senescence. Oxidized vimentin can now be tracked and quantified in the blood, offering a noninvasive method for monitoring senescence-related diseases.
Innovative Research and Methodology
The breakthrough began with the immunization of BALB/c mice with senescent mouse lung fibroblasts. Researchers then screened for antibodies recognizing senescence-associated cell-surface antigens using FACS (Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting) analysis and a newly developed cell-based ELISA. These methods led to the identification of monoclonal antibodies, particularly the IgM clone 9H4, which specifically recognized the oxidized form of vimentin on the surface of senescent cells.
Through mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, researchers confirmed the MDA modification on vimentin, providing concrete evidence that oxidized vimentin serves as a biomarker for cellular senescence. Elevated levels of this modified vimentin were also found in the plasma of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice, a strain known for its accelerated aging and deregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism.
Implications for Age-Related Diseases and Biomarkers
The detection of MDA-modified vimentin has significant implications for the study of age-related diseases. By identifying oxidized vimentin in the blood, researchers now have a noninvasive method to detect and monitor senescence. This could be revolutionary in tracking the progression of diseases like neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, where cellular senescence plays a key role.
The ability to monitor senescence using biomarkers like oxidized vimentin can also enhance the development of therapeutic strategies. Understanding how humoral innate immunity recognizes and removes senescent cells could lead to novel approaches for eliminating harmful senescent cells, which accumulate with age and contribute to aging-related pathologies.
Future Directions and Research
In a groundbreaking new study, Everon Biosciences and Roswell Park Cancer Institute have introduced the Physiological Frailty Index (PFI), a robust, non-invasive, and quantitative tool for measuring biological age in laboratory mice. This innovative methodology provides a powerful new way to evaluate the efficacy of anti-aging pharmaceuticals in pre-clinical studies.
🔬 Key Insights from the Study :
- PFI tracks aging effects in mice, allowing early identification of anti-aging dr ug benefits.
- PFI has revealed the rejuvenating effects of Everon’s mTOR inhibitor RAPATAR, far earlier than traditional longevity studies.
- The study showcases how the PFI can be used to evaluate the impact of high-fat diets on accelerated aging and drug efficacy.
- Optimized for sex-dependent aging variations, PFI is now poised to become a crucial tool in anti-aging drug discovery.
💡 This is a major milestone in the journey toward healthspan-extending therapies and could be a game-changer for the entire field of aging research !