John Ramunas

Biography
Dr. Ramunas switched from electrical engineering to biochemistry when he read a 1998 Science paper on telomeres, the tips of DNA that shorten with each cell division, until they stop stem cells from dividing, halting regeneration and driving aging and disease. This simple yet central mechanism of aging inspired him to pursue technologies to reverse such mechanisms to prevent aging and disease. To that end he has co-invented technologies spanning stem cell bioengineering, drug delivery pumps and vehicles, and RNA-based protein replacement. He and his grad school labmate Glenn Markov and their supervisor Helen Blau founded Rejuvenation Technologies, licensing tech they invented at Stanford, and have achieved spatiotemporal control of telomere extension in vivo, extending telomeres by over 5 years with one dose and demonstrating profound therapeutic impact in multiple preclinical models of age-related diseases. Rejuvenation is currently raising its Series A funding round for clinical trials in longevity, immuno-oncology, hematology, and pulmonology.

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Talk
Every day, our bodies require billions of new cells for repair, shortening telomeres. When telomeres become too short, stem cells stop dividing, halting regeneration and causing disease. Targeted TERT RNA extends telomeres precisely and transiently in vivo rescuing multiple preclinical models. Currently fundraising for clinical trials: longevity under LARTA; immuno-oncology, hematology, pulmonology under FDA.