April 21, 2022

Can we use some cancer cells’ need for iron against them?

April 21, 2022/ Methuselah Foundation

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, found that cells with oncogenic KRAS mutations have increased levels of ferrous iron (Fe2+) that could, potentially, be used to “turn on” drugs that target cancer cells. The researchers’ findings could give new life to effective cancer drugs that fell out of favor because of the harm they cause to healthy cells. Adding an iron-activated trigger can make the difference.

July 19, 2018

What If Alzheimer's Disease Is Caused by "Bad Plumbing"?

July 19, 2018/ Sergio Ruiz

Here is a fun question... Can you name one hole in your body that, if sewn shut, would help you function better?

Assuming you have an anatomically normal body, the answer is none. While saying that "bad plumbing" causes Alzheimer's Disease is an oversimplification, it is a great way to quickly explain why we angel invested in Leucadia Therapeutics in 2015. The Principal Scientist, Founder, and CEO of Leucadia Therapeutics, Doug Ethell, Ph.D., had an Occam Razor's approach to AD, which was refreshing to us and an inspiration. As it turns out, the Cribriform Plate that drains cerebrospinal fluid can get ossified or clogged as you age. In AD patients, it is always significantly clogged, thus the "bad plumbing" analogy.

January 24, 2017

Organovo Collaborates With Professor Melissa Little for Kidney Tissue Research

January 24, 2017/ Methuselah Foundation

SAN DIEGO and MELBOURNE, Australia and SPRINGFIELD, Va., Jan. 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organovo Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONVO) (“Organovo”), a three-dimensional biology company focused on delivering scientific and medical breakthroughs using its 3D bioprinting technology, today announced a collaboration with Professor Melissa Little and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia to develop an architecturally correct kidney for potential therapeutic applications. The collaboration has been made possible by a generous gift from the Methuselah Foundation (“Methuselah”) as part of its ongoing University 3D Bioprinter Program.

October 23, 2016

Scientists Correct Mutated Gene that Causes Sickle Cell Disease in Stem Cells

October 23, 2016/ Methuselah Foundation

For the first time, scientists were able to correct the genetic mutation that causes sickle cell disease in stem cells.

In a collaborative effort, researchers at UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), and the University of Utah School of Medicine fixed the mutation in modified stem cells from patients with the condition using a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach.

September 13, 2016

These companies search for a cure to aging– and their discoveries are amazing

September 13, 2016/ Methuselah Foundation

The ideas surrounding life enhancement are not new—in fact, records show an interest in the mysteries surrounding human life for centuries.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein explores the idea of creating a life, while Doctor Who achieves life extension through regeneration. Wolverine's mutations let him heal away his problems, and Captain America froze himself into the 21st century. Just look at almost any Star Trek episode and you’ll see how fascinated people are with the idea of extending life.

September 06, 2016

Making memories stronger and more precise during aging

September 06, 2016/ Methuselah Foundation

When it comes to the billions of neurons in your brain, what you see at birth is what get — except in the hippocampus. Buried deep underneath the folds of the cerebral cortex, neural stem cells in thehippocampus continue to generate new neurons, inciting a struggle between new and old as the new attempts to gain a foothold in the memory-forming center of the brain.

In a study published online today in Neuron, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers atMassachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in collaboration with an international team of scientists found they could bias the competition in favor of the newly generated neurons.

August 28, 2016

Methuselah Fellowship Award Winner Tackles Macular Degeneration

August 28, 2016/ Methuselah Foundation

Typically, a fellowship and participation in a research study to cure a major disease would occur years after completing undergrad, possibly even after earning a PhD. But Jennifer DeRosa is not a typical student.