Cambridge startup takes age-halting therapy to space

A CAMBRIDGE-BASED biotech is taking its anti-ageing therapy to space, aiming to fast-track the development of a drug that blocks necrosis – uncontrolled cell death linked to ageing and disease.

LinkGevity, founded by sisters Carina Kern and Serena Kern-Libera, is working with Lithuanian partner Delta Biosciences on a project called Astro-SANITAS (Stable Anti-Necrotic for In-space Tissue Augmentation and Survival). The initiative will test the company’s anti-necrotic therapy in space, where biological decline is accelerated by microgravity, cosmic radiation and stress.

“By harnessing conditions in space, we can fast-track the development of the world’s first therapeutic that is designed to block necrosis,” said Kern, the CEO of LinkGevity. “Alongside our collaborator in the venture, Delta Biosciences, a pharmaceutical stability specialist, we are tackling one of the greatest biomedical challenges of our time: ageing and the diseases it drives.”

Anti-necrosis

Necrosis, which occurs when cells are overwhelmed by external stressors such as trauma, radiation, or infection, has been linked to conditions including kidney failure, heart attacks and cancer. LinkGevity’s therapy aims to preserve tissue health and resilience by preventing calcium ions from flooding stressed cells – a key mechanism of necrosis.

The company is currently planning its first international clinical trial for its anti-necrotic drug candidate, Link-001, targeting 100 patients with kidney damage.

Space exploration

While space medicine may be a niche market, Kern says it offers a unique testbed for accelerating innovation.

She said: “Space medicine may not be a big market but it could be a really interesting demonstration of our technology.”

LinkGevity’s work has already gained recognition, having been included in NASA’s SPACE-H accelerator programme, which supports healthcare technologies for space exploration. The company also recently secured a £120,000 grant from the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund to support the Astro-SANITAS project.