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FLF:SG ‘Longevity really resides in prevention’

Author: | Published on: January 13, 2025 | Last updated: January 13, 2025

Yuta Lee on the future of stem cell therapies in enhancing healthspan and the challenges faced in regulatory approval for aging therapies.

The Longevity Forum 2025 is just around the corner! This highly anticipated two-day event will explore innovative breakthroughs and actionable strategies for promoting healthy aging. As global interest in longevity continues to soar, the forum will spotlight cutting-edge advancements in healthspan and vitality, foster impactful collaborations, and ignite critical discussions. With a spotlight on the Asia-Pacific region, the event will highlight solutions for addressing the complexities of aging through innovation.

Yuta Lee, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Accelerated Biosciences, is a highly anticipated speaker at the event. Under his leadership, Accelerated Biosciences has advanced the commercialization of human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs), a pluripotent and immune-privileged stem cell platform with significant potential in regenerative medicine. Lee’s strategic direction has been key in securing a robust patent portfolio, with over 49 patents granted worldwide, providing freedom-to-operate for partners seeking clear pathways to commercialization.

Longevity.Technology: Lee’s commitment to accelerating cell and gene therapies aims to address critical challenges associated with an aging population and escalating healthcare costs, positioning him as a leading figure in the field of regenerative medicine. Stem cells are a growing topic in longevity in both the biotech and clinical spheres, and Lee will be discussing Stem Cell Therapies at the forum along with notable speakers such as Mattias Bernow (CEO, Cellcolabs) and Jordan Schlain (Founder & Chairman, Private Medical). Ahead of next month’s event, we sat down with Lee to discuss advancements in stem cell therapies, the scalability of human trophoblast stem cells, and the potential of exosomes in combating aging and chronic diseases.

Yuta Lee on…

A stem cell therapeutic future

The stem cell industry is projected to grow to over $56 billion by 2032. The main factors driving this growth are historical – we’ve already had 200 years of chemical drugs which are, at best, palliative. They block some symptoms but don’t truly resolve the original problem. In the last 10 to 15 years of cell and gene therapy development, people are realizing that we can now deploy these therapies to actually cure or manage the original issues. However, it typically takes decades to evolve through the FDA or EMA systems, and I believe that people are now recognizing a more economical route towards achieving true healthspan and longevity.

Over the next five to ten years, we anticipate a significant increase in scientific validation demonstrating that these therapies can provide benefits not only for sick care but also for preventative health, ultimately leading us towards enhancing healthspan and longevity. It’s just a matter of time before this shift occurs.

Targeting prevention is key

Much of the ongoing research is aimed at proving that these therapies can definitively cure various diseases at their root causes, but we are still required to navigate through the FDA or EMA systems, which consider aging as a non-indicative term. Presently, we must approach an aging-related indication — such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s — to succeed in gaining approval. This predicament stems from the fact that the current healthcare system is financially structured around reactive treatment rather than proactive prevention.

This also complicates efforts to secure funding from venture capitalists for preventative initiatives. Nevertheless, we are committed to pursuing these indications to substantiate our therapies' broader impacts, ultimately enabling a shift towards preventative treatment modalities and achieving longevity and healthspan through proactive interventions.

The clinic and beyond…

We’ve been collaborating with the National Institute on Aging to utilize our human trophoblast stem cell exosomes to combat cell senescence, a hallmark of aging. Our studies involve applying exosomes on senescent cells in vitro and in vivo, successfully demonstrating that our exosomes can down-regulate senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, which contribute to the chronic diseases prevalent today.

The long-term vision involves applying our exosome product to clinical indications like resistant hypertension or psoriasis. These conditions are recognized by the EFTA and the EMA; thus, securing approval for these trials would allow us to demonstrate systemic effects on both aging and healthspan.

Currently, we are in the midst of preclinical studies focused on resistant hypertension. Upon completion, we intend to advance to IND-enabling studies, ultimately facilitating trials involving human participants. This innovative direction in regenerative medicine is poised for immense growth!

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Reference: Lifespan.io