Developing Mitochondria-Based Therapeutics for Age-Related Diseases
Ken Cundy
Chief Scientific Officer, CohBar, Inc.
CohBar, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing mitochondria-based therapeutics (MBTs) to treat diseases associated with aging. MBTs originated from the discovery of a novel group of peptides encoded within the genome of mitochondria. Until recently, the mitochondrial genome was believed to contain only 37 genes and it has been relatively unexplored as a basis for drug discovery efforts. Research by CohBar founders and their academic collaborators has revealed that the mitochondrial genome includes dozens of potential new genes encoding peptides that can influence cellular activities by acting as messengers between cells. These peptides have demonstrated disease-modifying properties including: metabolic, neuroprotective, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. CohBar’s efforts are focused on optimizing natural mitochondrial peptides into novel MBT drug candidates for the treatment of diseases associated with aging, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders.