Jan M van DEURSEN, Ph.D.
Founder and Principal Investigator at Cavalry Biosciences
Principal Investigator at Persistence Therapeutics
Novato, CA, USA
Biographie/Biography
As a Principal Investigator in academia, I combined biochemical and cell biological approaches with genetic experiments in mice to address how cell cycle-related abnormalities contribute to tumorigenesis, with emphasis on processes that carry out faithful chromosome segregation.
In the early 2000s, we developed a BubR1 preclinical model for Mosaic Variegated Aneuploidy Progeria Syndrome (MVAPS). This led to the discovery that senescent cells drive aging and age-related diseases and established the novel therapeutic concept of senolysis (the selective elimination of pathological senescent cells) for the treatment of age-related diseases and the extension of healthy lifespans.
In 2011, I co-founded Unity Biotechnology with Nathaniel David, Judy Campisi, and Daohong Zhou to develop senolytic drugs that eliminate disease-causing senescent cells, which led to the identification of a potent Bcl-xL inhibitor, UBX1325, as a candidate for clinical development.
Focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which senescent cells drive atherosclerosis, we identified the SASP factor IGFBP3 as a key determinant of myocardial infarction, in that it drives degeneration of the plaque’s fibrous cap structure that prevents its rupture. In 2020, I co-founded Cavalry Biosciences, to develop tissue-targeted forms of IGF1 that overcome senescent cell-derived pathology in atherosclerosis and several other age-related diseases.
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Résumé/Abstract
Titre: A venir
Résumé: A venir