Harnessing AI-powered virtual cells to fight diseases of aging

Aging is the largest driver of disease

Aging mechanisms are common to the major modern diseases (right) and are being targeted by 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø to create a universal therapeutic approach.

Hallmarks if aging
CDC Underlying Cause of Death database, 2005-2014
Parent holding a babies small hand

Aging is reversed between generations

Each of us developed from a single cell passed down by our parents, yet we’re not born at our parent’s age and we begin our post-development lives in full health. The biology inherited from our parents is safely scrubbed, renewed and restarted, with evidence of a in the embryo shortly after conception.

Principal component Skin & Blood DNA methylation clock

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø has decoupled cell rejuvenation from a tumor-inducing pathway

Yamanaka factors (OSKM) rejuvenate multiple cell types and ameliorate disease phenotypes but are optimised to activate a tumor-inducing pathway, posing safety concerns for therapeutic development.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø's AI-powered virtual cells have discovered novel transcription factors that rejuvenate aged human fibroblasts and maintain their identity (left) whilst decoupling the tumor-inducing pathway (below) even when continuously expressed.

Fibreblasts
Cell aging clock
Gene rejuvenation IP chart

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø's AI virtual cells have found 6 novel interventions

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø's AI-powered virtual cells and aging clock (AC3) reduce centuries of real world experiments to years, bringing forward the most exciting interventions. 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø has identified 6x transcription factor interventions that reverse epigenetic age, and a more druggable downstream target. We continuously improve our virtual cells and aging clock with active learning cycles to accelerate future discovery.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø can screen small molecules and cocktails for a rejuvenation mechanism of action

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø can screen up to 2k molecules in vitro and >1B cocktails in its virtual cells, providing the opportunity to bring forward a first-in-class therapeutic.

Assets and asset-combos

Best in the world for AI virtual cells and aging clocks

51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø has assembled a talented team of research scientists and advisors backed by a combination of Biotech and Techbio investors.

AI virtual cells
Bo Wang
Bo Wang

Senior advisor, Prof University of Toronto, Inventor of the cell simulator single-cell-GPT (scGPT)1

Cell aging clocks
Brendan Swain
Brendan Swain

CSO and founder, PhD University of Cambridge, Inventor of the first accurate cell aging clock (proprietary to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø)

Brendan received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Cambridge, where his focus was on basic research. First as an intern and then as a founder, Brendan began to prototype single-cell transcriptomic aging clocks, helping forge a new direction for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø. Since 2021, Brendan has led 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø’s science team in the search for new rejuvenating interventions, with the belief that these discoveries could have a massive impact across healthcare.

Lucas Camillo
Lucas Camillo

Head of ML, MPhil University of Cambridge, Inventor of the most accurate aging clock2

Team

  • Daniel Ives
    Daniel Ives

    CEO and founder, PhD University of Cambridge, Mitochondrial biologist turned computational biologist

    Daniel received his PhD from the University of Cambridge where he focused on the role of mutations in the mitochondrial genome in rare diseases, embracing computational biology to discover a novel therapeutic approach. In 2017 Daniel founded 51³Ô¹ÏÍø¹ÙÍø and since then has been on a scientific journey from mitochondria to mouse aging clocks to single-cell aging clocks and, finally, to now: leveraging single-cell aging clocks inside cell simulations to explore the combinatorial space of interventions for cell rejuvenation.

  • David Prior
    David Prior

    Chair, previously NHS Chair
    2018-2022

  • Laurence Reid
    Laurence Reid

    Non-exec director, previously CEO Decibel Therapeutics, CBO Alnylam Pharaceuticals, General Manager Millennium Pharamceuticals

    Laurence has had a successful career in Biotech in Boston (Millennium, Alnylam, Warp Drive, Decibel Tx, Garuda Tx) as CBO and more recently CEO. Laurence excels in mapping new platforms and modalities to strategy for clinical translation and financing.

  • Jill Reckless
    Jill Reckless

    Translation advisor, CEO RxCelerate, previously Senior Research Associate University of Cambridge

    Co-founder and CEO of RxCelerate. Provides strategic vision to RxCelerate Group. Over 20 years’ experience of translational biology and leading drug discovery programmes covering a wide area of therapeutic indications.

  • Tony Kouzarides
    Tony Kouzarides

    Scientific advisor, Director Milner Therapeutics Institute, Cofounder CEO Vellos, Prof University of Cambridge

    Tony Kouzarides is Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Cambridge, a senior group leader at the Gurdon Institute and director/co-founder of the Milner Therapeutics Institute. His research lab at the Gurdon is interested in epigenetic modifications and their involvement in cancer. The Milner Therapeutics Institute has a mission to connect academia and industry to drive University research into therapies.

    Tony is a co-founder of Abcam plc, a publicly trading research reagents company in Cambridge, a co-founder of Chroma Therapeutics, a drug discovery company based in Oxford and a co-founder and director of STORM Therapeutics, a drug discovery company based in Cambridge. He is founder and director of Cambridge Gravity, a University entrepreneurial organization and a founder of Conquer Cancer ("Vencer el Cancer"), a cancer charity in Spain.

Current Investors

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