LinkGevity Secures Place in Prestigious SPACE-H Accelerator Program
September 11 2024 - 4:00AM
LinkGevity, an AI-driven drug discovery company focused on
longevity and age-related disease, announces its selection for the
highly competitive SPACE-H Accelerator program, powered by
Starburst in collaboration with NASA’s Human Research Program (NASA
HRP), the Translational Research Institute for Space Health
(TRISH), and Microsoft Federal (Microsoft). The program, in its
inaugural year, is dedicated to advancing innovative solutions
for human health and performance in space. LinkGevity has been
selected as its research has uncovered a first in class
Anti-Necrotic technology with significant potential to minimize the
health and performance risks in human spaceflight.
The human spaceflight sector is growing rapidly,
with commercial space companies poised to be the primary driver of
human spaceflight activity by 2040 and NASA’s focus on space
exploration taking on a new dimension, with plans to establish
sustainable lunar operations as a foundation for deep space
missions. The SPACE-H program is highly selective for
passionate entrepreneurs who are dedicated to building a better
future. The 13-week schedule, composed of lectures, workshops,
one-on-one's with the SPACE-H team and mentors, and a final
Demo Day showcase, provides unique access and insights into NASA
and other space health sector organizations.
“Being one of the few companies selected from a
global pool of applications for the SPACE-H program underscores the
profound potential impact of our research. Necrosis has been a
critical hurdle in scientific advancement, not just on Earth, but
also for space exploration. This recognition highlights the
potential of our pioneering Anti-Necrotic technology to address
critical challenges in long-duration space missions,” said Dr.
Carina Kern, CEO and co-founder of LinkGevity. “For the first time,
we have the potential to block necrosis, opening up game-changing
applications in areas crucial for space travel, such as
cryopreservation, organoid preservation, artificial organ growth,
and kidney protection during these missions.”
LinkGevity’s inclusion in the SPACE-H program comes
at a critical juncture, as the company prepares to maximize the
potential of its Anti-Necrotics on Earth and in space. Applications
of this innovative medical technology include four major areas:
Organoid Preservation and Growth:
Necrosis has hindered the development of complex organoids used in
disease modelling and drug screening. LinkGevity’s Anti-Necrotic
technology could enable unprecedented advancements in these
fields.
Cryopreservation: Necrosis causes
irreversible damage during the freezing and thawing process.
LinkGevity’s Anti-Necrotic technology has the potential to prevent
this from happening.
Organ Growth and Preservation:
Necrotic cores at the heart of biological structures have, until
now, inhibited the lab-based growth and vascularisation of
functional tissues and organs. Necrosis is also the primary cause
of irreversible damage during organ preservation. LinkGevity’s
breakthrough technology could pave the way for organ generation,
regeneration and new preservation techniques that could
dramatically extend the viability of preserved organs.
Kidney Protection: The organs most
susceptible to stress, the kidneys, are likely to be the limiting
factor in long-duration space missions. LinkGevity’s technology
could offer hope for the first viable treatment for space-related
kidney injury, as well as Acute Kidney Injury, a common medical
emergency.
“We are thrilled to become part of SPACE-H program,
which will accelerate the development of our technology for both
terrestrial and space applications,” said Serena Kern-Libera, COO
and co-founder of LinkGevity. “This prestigious program will ensure
that our Anti-Necrotics are able to have the broadest possible
impact, aligning with our vision of transforming healthcare. It
will be instrumental in ensuring that LinkGevity’s innovations
reach their full potential, both in space and on Earth.”
Necrosis comes from the Greek word nékrōsis,
meaning death, as it is the uncontrolled and irreversible death of
cells, tissues, and organs. Necrosis has long been a critical
barrier in the treatment of chronic and age-related diseases and
has hindered advancement in scientific fields such as
bio-engineering, cryopreservation, and organ preservation. Despite
being intensively studied for decades, until now no one has managed
to successfully intervene in the necrotic pathway.
About LinkGevity
LinkGevity is an AI-driven drug discovery company
focused on longevity and age-related disease. The company is on a
mission to revolutionize healthcare by intervening in previously
untreatable conditions, with a strong emphasis on licensing its
groundbreaking IP to life science companies worldwide.
LinkGevity’s novel proprietary Blueprint Theory of
Aging, developed by CEO and co-founder Dr. Kern, offers a
comprehensive, multi-disciplinary framework for understanding the
development of age-related diseases and deterioration. This theory
integrates insights from medicine, genetics, evolutionary biology,
and cell biology. The Blueprint Theory enables the company’s AI to
accurately identify and target key biological pathways involved in
aging and deterioration, with necrosis being one of the most
critical processes addressed.
The company is currently wrapping up its Angel
round of funding, with the raised funds earmarked for advancing its
Anti-Necrotic technology in the fields of cryopreservation, organ
growth and preservation, and organoid growth, including for
application in space. Additionally, the company is preparing to
secure further funding next year to support clinical trials focused
on treating Acute Kidney Injury.
LinkGevity is based at the Babraham Research Campus
in Cambridge, UK. For more information see the website and follow
the company on LinkedIn.
Media contacts
LinkGevitySerena Kern-Libera,
COOserena@linkgevity.com
Scius CommunicationsKatja Stout
+447789435990katja@sciuscommunications.com
Daniel Gooch
+447747875479daniel@sciuscommunications.com