GO-TO-MARKET: Senescence & Aging

Our first therapeutic area : the largest unmet need in the developed world.

Aging-related diseases account for 80% of disease mortality in developed countries. We have a leading expert on the topic among

Underlying biological processes are directly related to cell senescence.

Deep senescent cells are cells that do not undergo apoptosis but remain for very long period of time in the tissues. These cells represent 1 to 10% of the cells in the tissue can have consequences on the tissue function with time leading to impairment and organ failure.

The SASP (senescence-associated secretory phenotype ), is a system of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that can alter the microenvironment and communicate with immune cells.

This system is very potent and can alter the immune response, induce DNA damage, and start cancerous processes.

Senescent cells have been shown to be driving the general aging process and are associated with age-related diseases and tissue dysfunctions.

So far senescent cells have been shown to be driving all age-related diseases (heart, liver, lungs, brains, pancreas and bone-related diseases among others).

These cells are a major contributing factor to the chronic inflammation commonly measured in older people with multiple negative consequences on health and quality of life.

While mouse models are available to study the phenomenon, there are yet no human organoid models to study senescence in a more realistic environment.

Since senescence is shown to appear in all organs with time with varying effects, developing multiple, dedicated, senescence human organ models is critical.

The immune system also plays a key role, at two levels, in senescence:

Specific immune cells are tasked with the destruction of senescent cells but are unable to fulfill this function in a variety of settings

The immune system is directly involved in the senescence-associated secretory phenotype

Consequently, the immune system is also a top candidate for in-vitro/in-silico modelling in the context of senescence.