Iolaus Sciences - Ending ALT Cancers

Iolaus Research

Cancers require telomeres to be lengthened in order to divide uncontrollably or the cells will enter senescence. Cancers avoid this by using telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) to lengthen their telomeres. Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) accounts for 10 – 15% of TMMs used in cancer cells, and cancers that use other TMMs have been found to revert to ALT when the initial TMM is removed. Current assays for detecting ALT activity are time-consuming, expensive and dangerous, involving radioactive isotopes, which makes high-throughput drug screening highly impractical. Because of this, discovery of cancer therapies are hindered.

We have developed and patented an assay for detecting ALT that is simple, cheap, safe and can be performed in most labs. The assay correctly identifies the TMM in 6 different Osteosarcomas as well as an artificial inhibition of ALT activity in ALT+ cell lines.

We’re making this assay high-throughput compatible, which will cost 20 cents a test. Next, we’ll perform drug screens to find small molecule candidates that inhibit ALT in cancers. These candidates will help develop better cancer treatments for millions of victims worldwide.

Our Team

Thomas Hunt CEO

Thomas Hunt has researched ALT for 6 years, working at SENS Research Foundation, Ichor Therapeutics and Iolaus. In 2014, he became the youngest person to be awarded a fellowship in Peter Thiel’s 20 under 20 Program. Over the course of the fellowship, Thomas developed a unique assay for detecting ALT that is simple, safe and inexpensive. (US Patent 20170159129)

He has been an active member in the DIY bio tech community from its inception and was an early participant and member of BioCurious.

George Church Advisor

George Church is a Professor at Harvard & MIT, co-author of 425 papers, 95 patent publications & the book Regenesis. He developed methods used for the first genome sequence (1994) & genome recoding & million-fold cost reductions since. He co-initiated the BRAIN Initiative (2011) & Genome Projects (1984, 2005) to provide & interpret the world's only open-access personal precision medicine datasets.

Aubrey de Grey Advisor

Aubrey de Grey works on the development of medical innovations that can postpone all forms of age-related ill-health. He performs this work as chief science officer of SENS Research Foundation, a California-based 501(c)(3) charity that undertakes and funds such research, and also as editor-in-chief of Rejuvenation Research, the highest-impact peer-reviewed academic journal focused on postponing aging.

Laura Deming Advisor

Currently a Forbes 30 under 30 star and partner at The Longevity Fund, Laura has wanted to cure aging since the age of 8. After years working on nematode longevity at the UCSF graduate school, Laura matriculated at MIT at 14 to work on artificial organogenesis and bone aging, and is now based in San Francisco, working to find and fund therapies to extend the human healthspan. She has also recently become a Board Observer at Navitor Pharmaceuticals.

Kelsey Moody Advisor

Kelsey Moody is a biotechnology entrepreneur in LaFayette, NY. In 2013 he founded Ichor Therapeutics, and has since raised millions of dollars to expand the company. Previously, Kelsey served as CTO at ImmunePath, a venture capitalist backed stem cell therapy company in Silicon Valley. Before ImmunePath, he founded the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative, a student development program.