3 January 2018 - - AgeX Therapeutics, Inc., a subsidiary of Alameda, California-based degenerative disease treatment developer BioTime, Inc. (NYSE: BTX) has published study results in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Oncotarget that reveal genes implicated in tissue regeneration, cancer, and aging, the company said.
The study, by scientists at AgeX and BioTime, in collaboration with Baltimore, Maryland-based bioinformatics company Insilico Medicine, utilized artificial intelligence technology to parse millions of gene expression data points to decipher the complex mechanisms controlling natural tissue regeneration.
The results showed that the candidate genes are expressed differently in tissues early in development when they are capable of regeneration compared to later in life when regeneration can no longer take place.
Some of the genes, including one highlighted in the study, COX7A1, displayed a rare profile of being nearly universally dysregulated in diverse types of cancer.
The discoveries may lead to novel strategies to induce tissue regeneration in the context of trauma or age-related degenerative disease, as well as treat and diagnose cancer.
AgeX Therapeutics applies technology relating to cellular immortality and regenerative biology to aging and age-related diseases. The company has three initial areas of product development: pluripotent stem cell-derived brown adipocytes (AGEX-BAT1); vascular progenitors (AGEX-VASC1); and induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR). Initial planned indications for these products are Type 2 diabetes, cardiac ischemia, and tissue regeneration respectively.
BioTime is focused on developing and commercializing products addressing degenerative diseases. Its clinical programs are based on two platform technologies: pluripotent cells and cell/drug delivery.
Insilico Medicine applies next-generation artificial intelligence technology to drug discovery and aging research.
The company pursues internal drug discovery programmes in cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, sarcopenia, and geroprotector discovery, and provides services to pharmaceutical companies.