Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - Today Insilico Medicine, a biotechnology company developing the end-to-end drug discovery pipeline utilizing the next generation artificial intelligence, and the Scheibye-Knudsen Lab, University of Copenhagen, announce the presentation of Danica Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Metabolic Biology, Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley, at the 6th Aging Research, Drug Discovery, and AI Forum during the Basel Life Congress, September 10-12, 2019, Basel, Switzerland.
Recent advances in stem cell biology highlight a mitochondrial metabolic checkpoint that is essential for stem cells to return to the quiescent state. This process is critically regulated by several sirtuin family members. As the loss of stem cell quiescence results in the depletion of the stem cell pool and compromised tissue regeneration, deciphering the molecular mechanisms that regulate the mitochondrial metabolic checkpoint in stem cells will increase our understanding of tissue homeostasis and how it becomes dysregulated under pathological conditions and during aging. More broadly, this knowledge is instrumental for understanding the maintenance of cells that convert between quiescence and proliferation to support their physiological functions.
"A comprehensive understanding of the epigenetics of stem cell aging is central to the basic biology of aging and pivotal to the realization of the extent to which aging-associated conditions are reversible and, ultimately, to the therapeutic potential of the biology of aging. Promising Alzheimer's drug trials failed recently. It is plausible that it is too late to start the treatment and it has gone to the point of no return. It is more urgent than ever to understand the reversibility of aging-associated conditions," said Danica Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Metabolic Biology, Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley.
"I am really thrilled that professor Danica Chen is joining us in Basel. Professor Chen has made many seminal discoveries in the field of aging, particularly focusing on how metabolism impacts and is impacted by the aging process. Recently, she has moved into stem cell maintenance, a field that may be particularly important for aging research. I am therefore really happy that professor Chen is coming to Basel," said Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, MD, Ph.D., University of Copenhagen.
"Over the last 5 years, the "Aging & Drug Discovery" and "AI for Healthcare" forums have been leading events at BaselLife, attracting hundreds of delegates from over 50 countries. This year, we are combining the 2 platforms into a 3 day-event titled "the 6th Aging, AI and Drug Discovery Forum" to explore the convergence of these 2 cutting edge disciplines. Under the program leadership of Professor Morten Scheibye-Knudsen and Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, with distinguished scientists and industry experts in the field, we look forward to exploring breakthroughs for this great healthcare need for the planet," said Dr. Bhupinder Bhullar, Chair, Innovation Forum program committee, Basel Life 2019.
"The 6th annual Aging Research, Drug Discovery, and AI Forum at Basel Life will have a fresh program featuring some of the most prominent scientists and industry players in aging and longevity research covering the theory, applications and convergence of these three exciting areas," said Alex Zhavoronkov, Ph.D., Founder, and CEO of Insilico Medicine, Inc.
The 6th Aging Research for Drug Discovery Forum Basel will bring together leaders in the aging, longevity, and drug discovery field, to describe the latest progress in the molecular, cellular and organismal basis of aging and the search for interventions. Furthermore, the forum will include opinion leaders in AI to discuss the latest advances of this technology in the biopharmaceutical sector and how this can be applied to interventions. This event intends to bridge academic and commercial research and foster collaborations that will result in practical solutions to one of humanity's most challenging problems: aging. The Forum will be held in Basel, Switzerland, September 10-12, 2019.
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For further information, images or interviews, please contact:
Ola Popova ola@pharma.ai
About Danica Chen
Danica Chen is an Associate Professor of Metabolic Biology, Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology at the University of California, Berkeley; a member of Berkeley Stem Cell Center, and a member of QB3 Consortium in Lifespan Extension. She was a Searle Scholar, an Ellison Scholar, a Kavli Fellow, and a Hellman Fellow. Dr. Chen received a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the University of California and obtained postdoctoral training in biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research aims to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying aging-associated conditions and define which aspects of age-associated conditions are reversible. Recent studies from her lab have revealed mitochondrial stress as a cause of stem cell exhaustion and tissue degeneration during aging. Dr.Chen identified mitochondrial stress resistance programs that become dysregulated in aged stem cells, and demonstrated that these programs can be targeted to improve survival and regenerative capacity of aged stem cells. These findings give hope to targeting age-associated dysregulated cellular protective programs, such as the pathways regulated by NAD+- dependent enzymes sirtuins, to reverse stem cell aging, tissue degeneration and dysfunction.
About Insilico Medicine, Inc
Insilico Medicine is an artificial intelligence company headquartered in Rockville, with R&D and management resources in Belgium, Russia, UK, Taiwan, and Korea sourced through hackathons and competitions. The company and its scientists are dedicated to extending human productive longevity and transforming every step of the drug discovery and drug development process through excellence in biomarker discovery, drug development, digital medicine, and aging research.
In 2017, NVIDIA selected Insilico Medicine as one of the Top 5 AI companies in its potential for social impact. In 2018, the company was named one of the global top 100 AI companies by CB Insights. In 2018 it received the Frost & Sullivan 2018 North American Artificial Intelligence for Aging Research and Drug Development Award accompanied with the industry brief. Brief company video: https:/
Official website: http://insilico.
About the Scheibye-Knudsen Laboratory
The growing proportion of the elderly population represents an increasing socioeconomic challenge, not least because of age-associated diseases. It is therefore increasingly pertinent to find interventions for age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cardiovascular diseases. Although the cause of aging is currently unknown accumulation of damage to our genome, the DNA, may be a contributing factor.
In the Scheibye-Knudsen lab we try to understand the cellular and organismal consequences of DNA damage with the aim of developing interventions. We have discovered that DNA damage leads to changes in certain metabolites and that replenishment of these molecules may alter the rate of aging in model organisms. These findings suggest that normal aging and age-associated diseases may be malleable to similar interventions. The hope is to develop interventions that will allow everyone to live healthier, happier and more productive lives.
Laboratory website: http://scheibye-knudsen.
About the University of Copenhagen
With over 40,000 students and more than 9,000 employees, the University of Copenhagen is the largest institution of research and education in Denmark and among the highest ranked universities in Europe. The purpose of the University - to quote the University Statute - is to 'conduct research and provide further education to the highest academic level'. Approximately one hundred different institutes, departments, laboratories, centres, museums, etc., form the nucleus of the University.
University Website: http://introduction.
About Basel Life 2019
Aging Research for Drug Discovery Forum description
In this symposium, leaders in the aging, longevity, and drug discovery field will describe the latest progress in the molecular, cellular and organismal basis of aging and the search for interventions. Furthermore, the forum will include opinion leaders in AI to discuss the latest advances of this technology in the biopharmaceutical sector and how this can be applied to interventions. This event intends to bridge academic and commercial research and foster collaborations that will result in practical solutions to one of humanity's most challenging problems: aging. A panel of thought-leaders will give us their cutting edge reports on the latest progress in our quest to extend the healthy lifespan of everyone on the planet.
Conference Official Website: https:/
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