Altos Labs is of interest in the field of anti-aging research since they state that their goal is to to transform medicine through cellular rejuvenation programming. Essentially they want to increase our healthspan, which they define as the number of years that we spend free from disease.
Also, their mission states:
“Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury and the disabilities that can occur throughout life”
As such Altos Labs is an interesting prospect in terms of potentially enhancing our lifespan, but also curing us from disease which might present themselves as barriers to a longer and better life. We will dive more into the details of their solution in the below.
Feel welcome to share your own thoughts on this company in the comment section below as well. I will be happy to discuss and learn more about how you see their potential in this field.
The solution
Altos Labs are looking into cellular rejuvenation to solve the puzzle of improving our lifespan, and quality of life as well. Essentially they are looking to reverse the biological processes that lead to aging, and also investigate if these processes can help alleviate diseases and injuries.
The initial focus of the company appears to be on advancing the foundational science, without an immediate commercial solution around the corner. While this might sound less exciting – it might strongly enhance their chances of success.
It seems that the solution in question will revolve around prior research conducted by Diljeet Gill and Wolf Reik, which was published in 2022. We can only assume that this research is the foundation for the solution that they are currently working on at Altos Labs.
You can view the published article here.
This research is based on human dermal fibroblast cells. These cells are modified by a novel so-called “maturation phase transient reprogramming” (MPTR) method. The method works by selectively expressing certain reprogramming factors until the point of cellular rejuvenation at which point they are then withdrawn. As a result the cells will temporarily lose their fibroblast identity, and then reacquire it again. According to the authors this could be caused by epigenetic memory, or the continuous expression of selective genes.
The intend of the MPTR method is to restore the epigenome to a more youthful state, and its effect was successfully demonstrated in the study. The method reversed several age-related changes, most notably the remodeling of the transcriptome – which according to their measures was rejuvenated by 30 years. The other important discovery in this study is that it was possible to separate rejuvenation from complete pluripotency reprogramming of the cells.
The current information available on how they specifically intend to apply this research and develop their solution is quite limited, and at this point it is difficult to assess in further detail. We are of course looking out for any news from the company on their progress, and hopefully something more specific on their approach to cellular rejuvenation.
The company
Altos Labs is located in San Diego and San Francisco, California, USA, and also in Cambridge, UK. Additionally they are reported to have significant collaborations in Japan. The company was established in 2022 and emerged with a $3B funding. With that amount of initial capital injection the company will certainly not be lacking any resources attempting to achieve their goals of making cellular rejuvenation in humans possible.
Altos Labs has gained media attention due to its high profile investors, which includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and billionaire Yuri Milner.
If you want to learn more about Altos Labs you can view their official website through this link.
Read about more anti-aging companies on this website through this link.
