Laura Niklason, MD, PhD

Dan Goldin. I was so inspired by your photo with Sen. Glenn I figured I would post our 2 cents for Astronaut health. Hypothesis: Investigating the Role of Radiation Exposure in Activating Ancestral Genes Linked to Health and Chronic Disease Recent research suggests that endogenous ancestral nucleotide sequences (EANS), also known as ancestral genes, are key contributors to many chronic health conditions. We hypothesize that radiation exposure, along with other environmental factors such as chemical exposure and viral infections, may trigger these ancestral genes, leading to disease development. Our proposed clinical study aims to investigate this hypothesis by exploring the interactions between radiation, ancestral genes, and chronic disease. Clinical Study to Unravel the Genetic Impact of Radiation on Human Health To test this hypothesis, we propose a comprehensive clinical study designed to uncover the potential link between radiation exposure and the activation of ancestral genes that may predispose individuals to chronic illness. 1. Sample Collection   - We propose to collect blood samples from individuals before and after controlled radiation exposure. These samples will be stored in specialized tubes, ensuring integrity for subsequent genetic analysis. 2. Genetic Analysis   - We will analyze changes in ancestral gene expression and identify which specific genes are activated or suppressed. This approach seeks to determine whether these changes are temporary or permanent, and which ancestral genes are most affected by radiation. 3. Grouping   - Participants will be categorized based on their ancestral gene expression levels, allowing us to examine whether those with higher ancestral gene expression are more prone to chronic disease. This grouping will enable us to uncover genetic risk factors for disease progression. 4. Comparative Analysis   - We will compare the disease patterns observed in the study group with those seen in patients suffering from other chronic diseases. This comparative analysis will explore how different genetic backgrounds and radiation exposures affect the progression of illness and response to treatments. Expected Outcome By conducting this study, we hypothesize that we will uncover a significant connection between radiation exposure, the activation of ancestral genes, and the onset or progression of chronic diseases. This knowledge will contribute to more targeted and personalized medical interventions, potentially leading to more effective treatments and preventive strategies for individuals predisposed to chronic illnesses due to their genetic makeup. Additionally, we propose leveraging a somewhat natural experiment by comparing the blood of astronauts Sen.Mark Kelly and Scott Kelly, two identical twins with varying degrees of radiation exposure, to validate our findings further. Here’s a technology backgrounder video https://lnkd.in/eS2UfDx8

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Thrilled to be sharing about the exciting startup, Abbio XR, co-founded by Dr. Matthew J. Webber and me at the Innovation Rally hosted by The IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame this Friday! Abbio XR is rooted in Dr. Webber's 20 years of experience and his prolific diabetes and hydrogel research. Our company's platform technology creates intrinsically therapeutic hydrogels from GLP-1 agonist peptides and is novel in the fact that the hydrogel in and of itself is the therapeutic. Abbio XR's 3-month single injection aims to mitigate peak therapeutic serum concentrations typical of current treatment options resulting in decreased adverse effects associated with these medications. Three-Month Freedom. One Injection. Abbio XR!!

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I’m thrilled to announce the launch of Radar Therapeutics, dedicated to making programmable, safe, "smart" #mRNA-based therapies that only get activated in the right cells, at the right time. Working with Katherine Jones, Sarah Chesemore, and others at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we witnessed how Moderna and BioNTech SE/Pfizer catapulted mRNA therapies onto the world stage with unprecedented speed, saving millions of lives.   At Radar, we want to bring this promise beyond vaccines into the most complex therapeutic compartments by solving one of the biggest problems for these therapies: making sure these mRNAs only reprogram the right cells in the body, avoiding potentially toxic off-target effects. We are committed to making therapies with the highest bar of safety, and widely accessible to patients that need them. I was incredibly lucky to meet my co-founder Eerik Kaseniit (thank you Anna-Julia Storch), while at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Eerik was obsessed with the problem of precisely targeted, timely and controlled regulation of mRNA translation. Alongside Stanford Prof Xiaojing Gao and MIT Prof Jim Collins, we decided to direct those efforts towards saving lives by starting Radar Therapeutics. We attracted the brilliant minds Svetlana Lucas, David Schaffer, and Eric Klein along the way. We are grateful to NFX, Eli Lilly and Company, Biovision Ventures, and KdT Ventures for taking the lead on this round, alongside BEVC, Pear VC, ARTIS Ventures, Ten VC, Elementum Ventures, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, SALT, Conscience VC, and more. Here’s to a future where we can program therapies to rewrite any disease with utmost safety and accuracy. I’ll be at #BIO2024 for anyone looking to connect! Sharing some information about the company here: Endpoints News - https://lnkd.in/g4MQT245 Firstword Pharma - https://lnkd.in/gq3heWsE Genetic Engineering News - https://lnkd.in/gNPDfHEs Chemical & Engineering News - https://lnkd.in/gUx8ijmY Longevity Technology - https://lnkd.in/gRwdtiKx PBR- https://lnkd.in/gvUG_c5M Businesswire - https://lnkd.in/gcv88QAM Alix Marduel Vasudev Bailey Asset Abdualiyev Shan-Lyn Ma Wesley Barrow Pioneer Fund Jackie Benson Shannon Dahl Jackie Papkoff, Ph.D. Nat Kolber Jon Levin Ilya Strebulaev StartX Ron Boger Howard Rosen

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Investment, therapeutic viability, and next-gen. technologies... That's what the cell therapy field needs. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jason C. Foster of Ori Biotech recently on their podcast to talk all things cell therapy, the enabling technologies that support this modality, and the need for more investment. What did we touch on (and link to full podcast below)? Investors needing to see a return when investing in cell therapies. Need to bring manufacturing costs down to expand access. Next-gen. tools to create better, more robust therapies. Purpose-built therapies require purpose-built tools! Our consulting practice, how we help our clients, and how we view the field of advanced therapies. We take a differentiated approach to tracking, following, and mapping key trends across advanced therapies to bring novel, business-impacting insights to our clients. Want to discuss any of the above? Where the field of cell therapies are going? What it means for your own development pipeline? Reach out and let me know what you think in the comments! #celltherapy #venturecapital #consulting https://lnkd.in/g7SH9FAU

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