International Application: WO2023075374A1 (filed 2023/09/28)
Assignee: Altos Labs, Inc.
Title: Expression of regeneration factors in aged/senescent cells
Status: Published in April 2024 but tied to a 2022–2023 filing cycle
Focus: Partial cellular reprogramming compositions and methods aimed at rejuvenating aged or senescent cells by expressing specific factors such as Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 using viral vectors.
What This Patent Covers
This patent application claims intellectual property around molecular and gene therapy approaches for partially reprogramming aged or senescent cells back toward a more youthful state:
- Composition claims: Engineered viral vectors (e.g., adenoviral or AAV vectors) that carry genetic sequences encoding key reprogramming factors — e.g., OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 — which are transcription factors known to influence cell identity and epigenetic state.
- Method claims: Methods of delivering these vectors into senescent or aged cells so that those cells begin expressing reprogramming factors that can alter gene expression patterns associated with aging and potentially rejuvenate tissue function.
- Therapeutic potential: The described compositions and methods are aimed at applications for treating age‑related diseases, tissue dysfunction, and signs of aging by reversing senescence phenotypes in situ.
Why It’s Important
1. Aligns With Altos Labs’ Core Mission
Altos Labs was founded with a multibillion‑dollar mission to unlock cellular rejuvenation and reverse disease via reprogramming biology — an ambitious goal that this patent directly supports by protecting ways to modulate aged cells at the genetic level.
2. Fabric of Rejuvenation Science
The use of Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 — some of the original Yamanaka reprogramming factors — reflects cutting‑edge research into partial cellular reprogramming, a strategy that aims to restore youthful function without completely dedifferentiating cells. This avoids risks like tumor formation and is central to regenerative biotech.
3. Platform Potential
If such technologies prove safe and effective, they could form the foundation of new classes of therapies for aging and degenerative disease, spanning multiple tissues and indications. Securing IP early helps Altos maintain strategic freedom and potential control over key elements of rejuvenation therapeutics.
4. Future Proofing
Even though filings around 2022‑2023 may not yet be granted, establishing priority and broad claims around cellular reprogramming and regenerative factor expression positions Altos Labs to defend or license key elements of potential future therapies that emerge from their research programs.
Summary
- Patent/Application: WO2023075374A1 – Expression of regeneration factors in aged/senescent cells (filed ~2022–2023)
- Assignee: Altos Labs, Inc.
- Focus: Engineered vectors and methods for partial cellular reprogramming of aged/senescent cells using core reprogramming factors.
- Importance: Anchors intellectual property in core rejuvenation biology that aligns with Altos Labs’ strategy to reverse aging and treat age‑related dysfunction — a potentially transformative area of biotechnology with far‑reaching clinical and commercial implications.
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