Calico Life Sciences

Congratulations to Cynthia Kenyon, Calico’s Vice President of Aging Research, for being awarded the Lord Cohen Medal, a prestigious honor recognizing leaders in the field of aging. Awarded by the British Society for Research on Aging (BSRA), the Medal has only been awarded 16 times in the past 40 years, and is given to recipients who’ve made outstanding contributions to aging research. As part of this recognition, Cynthia delivered the prize lecture at the BSRA Annual Scientific Meeting on September 5 at University of Birmingham. Titled “Genes and processes that control the rate of aging,” Cynthia's talk discussed her pioneering studies with C. elegans showing that the rate of aging is not immutable, as previously thought, but instead is plastic and under active genetic control by specific genes and hormones. Congratulations, Cynthia, on this well-deserved honor!

Aging is complex and at Calico we are trying to disentangle the symptoms and drivers of the aging process. Harnessing advanced technologies and model systems, we are generating insights that are helping us answer key questions about aging. The more we understand the biology that controls aging, the better equipped we are to pursue new interventions that may hold potential for increasing healthspan. #ScienceofAging #AgingResearch

Earlier this month, Calico officially welcomed Michael Lenardo, M.D., as our new Chief Scientific Officer. In his first days on-site at Calico, Dr. Lenardo spent time touring our labs, meeting the team and settling into his new role. Dr. Lenardo is an exceptional physician-scientist and medical researcher with a remarkable 40-year career marked by leadership, innovation, and collaboration. He joins Calico from the National Institutes of Health, where he served as Co-Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Clinical Genomics Program. Welcome to Calico, Dr. Lenardo. We’re excited to have you on the team!

HPV is a major player in the development of various cancers. With over 200 identified strains, the effects of HPV infection are vast and varied. Our scientists are digging deeper into the infectious mechanisms of HPV, revealing how specific cancer-causing viral proteins interact with human proteins to cause disease, and developing new tools to block these harmful interactions. This collaborative work could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat diverse cancers. Learn more in our latest story: https://lnkd.in/e7WQercA

Happy #NationalInternDay! This summer, we are excited to host 10 students joining us in advancing the foundational science of aging, each diving into exciting scientific and computational projects. Wondering how their summer is going? Here are some reasons why they love learning and working with us at Calico!

Model organisms like yeast are helping Calico scientists like Reinhard identify molecular changes that cause aging and the downstream age-associated events that lead to cellular decline. Learn more about how Calico’s culture of curiosity-driven research creates countless possibilities for Reinhard and his colleagues to develop as researchers and further scientific knowledge: https://lnkd.in/gdFFYBHb #ExploreWithUs #ScienceCareers

Aging cells cause diseases that impact everything from brain health to immunity. Calico scientists studying the roundworm C. elegans have mapped gene activity in every cell type of this tiny worm, revealing that aging is an organized process, with each cell type following its own aging path. Learn how we’re building cell atlases to understand how these cellular changes cause disease in our latest story. https://lnkd.in/g_yekMEd #scienceofaging

In our newest Calico Story: Recent research published in Nature Genetics expands the body of knowledge about the relationship between aging and blood cell mutations and could help pave the way to early disease detection and new diagnostics in the future. Read more and explore other stories about Calico’s research: https://lnkd.in/gZWVtGtq #CalicoStories #AgingResearch #AgingScience

We are honored to share that fosigotifator (ABBV-CLS-7262) has been selected for the FDA’s START Pilot Program, an innovative new initiative which aims to accelerate the development of novel drug and biological products for rare diseases. Fosigotifator is being developed by Calico and AbbVie as a potential treatment for Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease, an ultra-rare genetic condition that causes the deterioration of white matter in the brain and permanently affects the transmission of nerve signals to the rest of the body. Currently, there is no cure or approved treatments for VWM disease. VWM disease is caused by genetic variations affecting eIF2B, a protein complex essential for stress response regulation in cells. Calico’s foundational research into eIF2B and the Integrated Stress Response, along with our productive partnership with AbbVie, have played a crucial role in advancing this new drug candidate. We look forward to working closely with the FDA to accelerate the development of fosigotifator in service of bringing hope to those living with this devastating rare disease. Read more in our press release: https://loom.ly/b_A1Amc

For scientists at Calico, tackling the toughest questions about aging starts with intellectual freedom, curiosity and a spirit of teamwork that welcomes new and diverse perspectives. Learn how Calico’s culture and core values enable Xiumin and her colleagues to push the boundaries of research today in order to help devise clinical interventions that might help people lead longer, healthier lives tomorrow. https://lnkd.in/gG3reMZa #ExploreWithUs #ScienceCareers