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Credit: https://longevity.technology/news/new-worm-study-shows-small-molecule-extends-healthspan/

Autophagy inducer SMER28 shows healthspan benefits

September 18, 2022

Preliminary data was released in a collaborative study between Magnitude Biosciences and biotech investor Dr. Ethan Perlstein on the first day of Longevity Summit Dublin. The project looked at the effects of a molecule known for inducing autophagy, SMER28, to produce positive affects on healthspan of the C elegans nematode. The study demonstrated Magnitude’s capability to automate and accelerate worm studies at scale which showed a robust positive effect on healthspan at certain concentrations.

Magnitude’s co-founder is using Magnitude’s platform to measure healthspan changes in C elegans. The result has yet to be peer-reviewed, but it provides interesting insight into how early-stage longevity research might benefit.

Perlstein says he discovered SMER28 in the mid 2000’s when working towards his PhD at Harvard. Perlstein has been fascinated by the mTOR pathway since he found out how important it is. To find out more, he decided to do research in other organisms.

In a previous study, Perlstein used a multi-species method to find drugs. His process started with a yeast chemical modifier screen, and was followed by studies in flies and human cells. The drug they found, SMER28, improved models of anemia in hematopoietic human stem cells as well as zebrafish and mice. Though no healthspan effect was observed, the underlying cause of anemia remained unknown.

Ethan Perlstein is the founder of Perlara and chose Magnitude Biosciences for further research of SMER28 for health and slow aging because of their reputation of having strong data reproducibility.

Magnitude Biosciences revealed SMER28 was showing toxicity at low concentrations. However, Magnitude’s platform was able to identify a range of SMER28 concentrations with a robust positive effect on healthspan.

SMER28 is targeting Valosin-containing protein, also known as p97, which was recently discovered in human cells.

Today, Magnitude says that the target is well-conserved in C elegans. They believe it will provide ways to further study how this could affect life expectancy and age onset.

This piece of work will provide a platform to explore molecules that could be used to develop therapeutics that slow aging in humans.

Perlstein says, “I’m hopeful that working with Magnitude we can find a creative way to fund further work on SMER28 and its effects specifically on healthspan and longevity now that we know its target is VCP/p97, collaborating with the VitaDAO community could be one such path forward.”

David Weinkove, CEO of Magnitude Biosciences, says this project shows they can respond quickly to help out entrepreneurs with a poor funding situations and also build platforms to screen new derivatives.

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