Sierra Sciences

Last updated
Sierra Sciences, LLC
Company type Privately held
Industry Biotechnology
Founded1999;25 years ago (1999)
Headquarters Reno, Nevada
Key people
William H. Andrews: Founder, President and CEO; Richard Offerdahl: Co-Chairman of the Board and COO; Pierluigi Zappacosta: Co-Chairman of the Board and Vice President, Business Development
Website sierrasci.com

Sierra Sciences, LLC is a biotechnology company founded by William H. Andrews, former director of molecular biology at Geron Corporation. [1] Andrews founded Sierra Sciences in 1999 in Reno, Nevada, with the goal of preventing and/or reversing cellular senescence, and ultimately curing diseases associated with human aging, including the aging process itself. [2]

Contents

Background

In humans, aging is strongly correlated with the length of an individual's telomeres, the repetitive DNA at the ends of each chromosome. Each time a cell in the body divides, its telomeres become shorter. [3] Eventually, telomeres shorten to the point where the cell is unable to divide (the "Hayflick limit"). The enzyme telomerase adds these DNA sequence repeats to the telomere, re-lengthening it. In humans, telomerase is expressed in embryonic stem cells and some other cells, but most somatic cells do not express it. [4]

While working at Geron Corporation, Andrews co-discovered the RNA component of human telomerase (hTR). [5] [6] For this discovery, Andrews was awarded second place as "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 by the Intellectual Property Owners Association. [7] Andrews also co-discovered the protein component of human telomerase (hTERT). [8] The hTERT gene is present in all human cells, but is repressed in most.

In 1997, Andrews left Geron, and, in 1999, founded Sierra Sciences to pursue the anti-aging implications of these discoveries, intending to find a drug that would "switch on" this repressed gene.

Company history

At the time of its inception, Sierra Sciences' President was Dan Fylstra, founder of VisiCorp.

In 2002, Richard Offerdahl, co-founder of Zycad Corporation and former director of Digi International, assumed the position of Chairman of the Board of Sierra Sciences.

In 2003, Offerdahl was elected Chief Operating Officer and Pierluigi Zappacosta (co-founder of Logitech) was elected President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2008, Andrews was promoted to President and CEO, and Zappacosta took the roles of Co-Chairman of the Board and Vice President, Business Development.

In early 2016, Bill Andrews announced that Sierra Sciences was working with BioViva and will be to starting a new venture BioViva FIJI on Fiji and they will be the first company to use gene therapy to treat biological aging in humans. However when contacted for comment authorities in Fiji denied any such claim. [9]

Discoveries

In 2001, Sierra Sciences discovered a repressor binding site (dubbed "Site C") that blocks the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase ("TERT"), patented in 2004. [10] Sierra Sciences discovered another repressor bind site, "GC-Box 5," in 2004, patented in 2007. [11]

Sierra Sciences discovered methods of assaying TERT promoter modulatory agents, allowing the company to efficiently check a variety of compounds to see if they inhibit repression of hTERT, in 2005. [12]

In 2007, the company discovered a small-molecule drug-like compound, "C0057684", that activates telomerase expression in human cells. [13] In 2008, using C0057684 as a positive control, Sierra Sciences developed a quantitative PCR based high-throughput screening assay to more efficiently screen for compounds that transiently induce the expression of endogenous telomerase in human cells. Sierra Sciences has identified more than fifty such drugs and is characterizing their mechanism of action.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complementary DNA</span> DNA reverse transcribed from RNA

In genetics, complementary DNA (cDNA) is DNA that was reverse transcribed from an RNA. cDNA exists in both single-stranded and double-stranded forms and in both natural and engineered forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telomere</span> Region of repetitive nucleotide sequences on chromosomes

A telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences associated with specialized proteins at the ends of linear chromosomes. Telomeres are a widespread genetic feature most commonly found in eukaryotes. In most, if not all species possessing them, they protect the terminal regions of chromosomal DNA from progressive degradation and ensure the integrity of linear chromosomes by preventing DNA repair systems from mistaking the very ends of the DNA strand for a double-strand break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telomerase</span> Telomere-restoring protein active in the most rapidly dividing cells

Telomerase, also called terminal transferase, is a ribonucleoprotein that adds a species-dependent telomere repeat sequence to the 3' end of telomeres. A telomere is a region of repetitive sequences at each end of the chromosomes of most eukaryotes. Telomeres protect the end of the chromosome from DNA damage or from fusion with neighbouring chromosomes. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster lacks telomerase, but instead uses retrotransposons to maintain telomeres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Blackburn</span> Australian-born American biological researcher

Elizabeth Helen Blackburn, is an Australian-American Nobel laureate who is the former president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. In 1984, Blackburn co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the telomere, with Carol W. Greider. For this work, she was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, becoming the first Australian woman Nobel laureate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Cech</span> American biochemist

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Sidney Altman, for their discovery of the catalytic properties of RNA. Cech discovered that RNA could itself cut strands of RNA, suggesting that life might have started as RNA. He found that RNA can not only transmit instructions, but also that it can speed up the necessary reactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geron Corporation</span> American biotechnology company

Geron Corporation is a biotechnology company located in Foster City, California which specializes in developing and commercializing therapeutic products for cancer that inhibit telomerase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael D. West</span> American biogerontologist

Michael D. West is an American biogerontologist, and a pioneer in stem cells, cellular aging and telomerase. He is the founder and CEO of AgeX Therapeutics, a startup focused on the field of experimental gerontology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyskeratosis congenita</span> Medical condition

Dyskeratosis congenita (DKC), also known as Zinsser-Engman-Cole syndrome, is a rare progressive congenital disorder with a highly variable phenotype. The entity was classically defined by the triad of abnormal skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy, and leukoplakia of the oral mucosa, and MDS/AML, but these components do not always occur. DKC is characterized by short telomeres. Some of the manifestations resemble premature ageing and cognitive impairment can be a feature. The disease initially mainly affects the skin, but a major consequence is progressive bone marrow failure which occurs in over 80%, causing early mortality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol W. Greider</span> American molecular biologist and Nobel laureate

Carolyn Widney Greider is an American molecular biologist and Nobel laureate. She joined the University of California, Santa Cruz as a Distinguished Professor in the department of molecular, cell, and developmental biology in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telomerase reverse transcriptase</span> Catalytic subunit of the enzyme telomerase

Telomerase reverse transcriptase is a catalytic subunit of the enzyme telomerase, which, together with the telomerase RNA component (TERC), comprises the most important unit of the telomerase complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telomerase RNA component</span> NcRNA found in eukaryotes

Telomerase RNA component, also known as TR, TER or TERC, is an ncRNA found in eukaryotes that is a component of telomerase, the enzyme used to extend telomeres. TERC serves as a template for telomere replication by telomerase. Telomerase RNAs differ greatly in sequence and structure between vertebrates, ciliates and yeasts, but they share a 5' pseudoknot structure close to the template sequence. The vertebrate telomerase RNAs have a 3' H/ACA snoRNA-like domain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TEP1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Telomerase protein component 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the TEP1 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PINX1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

PIN2/TERF1-interacting telomerase inhibitor 1, also known as PINX1, is a human gene. PINX1 is also known as PIN2 interacting protein 1. PINX1 is a telomerase inhibitor and a possible tumor suppressor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cycloastragenol</span> Chemical compound

Cycloastragenol is a triterpenoid isolated from various legume species in the genus Astragalus that is purported to have telomerase activation activity. A preliminary in vitro study on human CD4 and CD8 T cells found that cycloastragenol may moderately increase telomerase activity and inhibit the onset of cellular senescence.

William Henry Andrews is an American molecular biologist and gerontologist whose career is centered on searching for a cure for human aging. Andrews is the founder and president of the biotechnology company Sierra Sciences. In the 1990s, he led the team at Geron Corporation that was the first to successfully identify the genes for human enzyme telomerase. This enzyme is responsible for preventing telomeres from shortening in human primordial germ cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telomeric repeat–containing RNA</span> Long non-coding RNA transcribed from telomeres

Telomeric repeat–containing RNA (TERRA) is a long non-coding RNA transcribed from telomeres - repetitive nucleotide regions found on the ends of chromosomes that function to protect DNA from deterioration or fusion with neighboring chromosomes. TERRA has been shown to be ubiquitously expressed in almost all cell types containing linear chromosomes - including humans, mice, and yeasts. While the exact function of TERRA is still an active area of research, it is generally believed to play a role in regulating telomerase activity as well as maintaining the heterochromatic state at the ends of chromosomes. TERRA interaction with other associated telomeric proteins has also been shown to help regulate telomere integrity in a length-dependent manner.

Bryant Villeponteau is an American scientist, entrepreneur, and longevity expert who has worked in both academia and industry.

Kathleen Collins is an American biophysicist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research considers telomerase RNA structure and telomere function. In 2020 she was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joachim Lingner</span> Swiss molecular biologist

Joachim Lingner is a Swiss molecular biologist. He holds the professorship for life sciences and leads the Lingner Lab at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Peter Michael Lansdorp is recognized for his contributions in the fields of hematology, medical genetics and cancer research. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of genome instability, particularly in relation to aging and cancer. His research has focused on the biology of blood-forming stem cells, telomeres and genome analysis. He is also known for developing techniques including single cell Strand-seq and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques such as Q-FISH and flow FISH.

References

  1. Geron Corp. Licensee TA Sciences Announces Landmark 7/07/07 Teleconference, PR Newswire Association, July 7, 2007
  2. Sierra Sciences, Sierra Sciences, 2006
  3. Siegel, Lee J. (2008), Are Telomeres the Key to Aging and Cancer?, The University of Utah, Genetic Science Learning Center, archived from the original on December 20, 2007
  4. Coleman, William B. & Tsongalis, Gregory J. (2002), The Molecular Basis of Human Cancer, Humana Press, ISBN   978-0-89603-634-5
  5. Mammalian telomerase, United States Patent, 1996
  6. Feng J, Funk WD, Wang SS, et al. (1995), "The RNA component of human telomerase.", Science, 269, Science: 1236–41, doi:10.1126/science.7544491, PMID   7544491
  7. Company overview, Sierra Sciences, 2006, archived from the original on December 28, 2007
  8. Telomerase, United States Patent, 2001
  9. Jyoti Pratibha (8 June 2016). "Authorities deny anti-ageing clinic being set up here". Fiji Sun . Archived from the original on 8 November 2020.
  10. Methods and compositions for modulating telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression, United States Patent, 2004
  11. Methods and compositions for modulating telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression, United States Patent, 2007
  12. Assays for TERT promoter modulatory agents using a telomerase structural RNA component, United States Patent, 2007
  13. Tanglao, Shawna; et al. (2008), The Discovery of C0057684, a Telomerase Activity Inducing Compound, The Methuselah Foundation, archived from the original on June 29, 2008