An Update on the Progress of SIRT6 Upregulation Towards the Clinic
SIRT6 overexpression slows aging in mice for reasons that are yet to be fully understood. It influences a range of different mechanisms associated with aging, including efficiency of DNA repair. Efforts to determine which of these effects are the important ones, and the relationships of cause and effect between the outcomes it produces, will likely continue for years following the first clinical use of therapies based on SIRT6 upregulation. Research is slow and biology is complicated. Here is an update on one approach to therapeutic SIRT6 upregulation, using gene therapy to introduce a variant SIRT6 gene found in long-lived individuals. Using the standard sequence would probably also work, as that is what was done in the animal studies conducted to date - but would be harder to patent and otherwise defend in the ways needed to obtain funding from biotech investors.
Longevity biotech Genflow Biosciences has commenced a gene therapy trial aimed at addressing age-related decline in dogs. The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the company's SIRT6 gene therapy in extending healthspan in older canines. By targeting the SIRT6 gene, which has been linked to extended lifespan in centenarians, Genflow hopes to generate insights that could inform future treatments for both veterinary and human applications.
The study involves 28 dogs aged ten years and older. Over the course of a year, dogs receiving the therapy via intravenous injections will be compared to an untreated control group. Researchers will assess biological age using the GrimAge methylation clock, monitor changes in muscle mass and strength, evaluate mitochondrial function, track coat condition, and measure overall well-being. The six-month treatment period will be followed by a six-month observation phase to assess lasting effects. The results of the trial are expected by the end of 2025.
Genflow's broader focus is on developing gene therapies targeting aging-related diseases in humans, with its lead compound, GF-1002, in the pre-IND phase for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a prevalent chronic liver condition. GF-1002, which delivers a variant of the SIRT6 gene found to be enriched in centenarians, has demonstrated adipogenic, anti-fibrotic, and anti-tumoral properties in preclinical studies.
Link: https://longevity.technology/news/genflow-begins-sirt6-gene-therapy-trial-in-dogs/