Longevity Startup Doses First Human in Attempt to Reverse Age-Related Vision Loss

Launch with longevity has given his first patient a drug to reverse age-related vision loss.

Life Biosciences is testing its drug ER-100, which the company claims has restored sight in monkeys, for safety and side effects in a study of about 18 adults next year.

It will target patients with glaucoma and NAION, two conditions that cause damage to key cells in the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from the back of the eye to the brain. ER-100 is designed to rejuvenate these cells so that they work again and restore vision.

This is the first cellular rejuvenation therapy using this technology to receive FDA clearance for human clinical trials, and therefore the first chance to test whether the technology can « alleviate human disease, » according to Life Biosciences co-founder and Harvard Medical School genetics professor David Sinclair.

The biology of aging—understanding how the body’s cells and functions deteriorate over time—is at the heart of the science of longevity. ER-100 has been the focus of much interest in biotechnology for its potential to reverse cellular senescence. Boston-based Life Biosciences says it is developing applications for its technology to address multiple age-related diseases in various organs, such as fatty liver disease.

« Our research suggests that aging is largely due to the loss of epigenetic information rather than irreversible damage. This clinical trial represents the first opportunity to test whether restoring this information can ameliorate human disease, » said Sinclair.