Pathways Bioscience Announces NIH National Institute on Aging SBIR Phase I Award to Investigate Potential Anti-Aging Benefits of Nrf2 Activation

Pathways Bioscience used their Nrf2.0® technology to develop a new dietary supplement, PB125, to rebalance cell protection mechanisms. With this SBIR grant for the National Institute on Aging they are collaborating on muscle proteostasis research to help understand and support healthy aging.

Aurora, Colorado, March 16, 2018 (PRWeb) - Pathways Bioscience LLC, a biomedical sciences company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs and dietary supplements that act on gene transcription pathways, announced today that it received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to pursue research on one of its Nrf2 activating dietary supplements, PB125®, for study in aging-related changes in muscle proteostasis. PB125 activates the Nuclear Factor, Erythroid 2-Like-2 (NFE2L2, also known as Nrf2) transcription factor pathway, which regulates the expression of a large group of cell protective and anti-inflammatory genes.

"We are happy to be collaborating with Drs. Karyn Hamilton and Ben Miller at Colorado State University with this funding from the National Institute on Aging to evaluate the effects of our Nrf2 activating dietary supplement PB125 on changes in muscle proteostasis that occur during aging," said Joe M. McCord, Ph.D., Co-founder and scientific leader of Pathways Bioscience.

In the project entitled “Supporting Healthy Aging with a Phytochemical Combination that Acts at Multiple Control Points in the Nrf2 Activation Pathway,” scientists at Pathways Bioscience are collaborating with Hamilton and Miller at Colorado State University’s Translational Research on Aging and Chronic Disease (TRACD) Laboratory in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. Part of the research being conducted focuses on examining the biological determinants of aging and approaches that might slow the aging process. They are examining the hypothesis that proteostatic mechanisms, which are used by the body for maintaining healthy and balanced turnover rates for cellular proteins, may play a key role in controlling the aging process and contribute to healthy aging.

“We are enthusiastic about working with Dr. McCord and Pathways Bioscience to investigate the effects of PB125 and Nrf2 activation on proteostasis and aging.” said Drs. Miller and Hamilton. “Our past studies resulted in some promising discoveries that provided insight about the role Nrf2 activation may play in providing resistance to stresses associated with aging.”

“Maintaining proper balance between rates of new protein synthesis and the breakdown of old, damaged protein becomes crucial with advanced age,“ said Brooks M. Hybertson, PhD, President and CEO of Pathways Bioscience and Principal Investigator on the project. “Our preliminary data with our PB125 dietary supplement suggest that it may be useful in maintaining or recovering the balance needed for optimal health. We are honored and grateful to receive this SBIR award from NIA to investigate the possible role of Nrf2 activation by PB125 in maintaining proteostasis and increasing healthspan.”

The research reported above is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43AG053128. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About Pathways Bioscience

Pathways Bioscience LLC is a biomedical sciences company focused on discovering and developing new agents, both small molecule drugs and dietary supplements, that influence gene expression pathways and exert beneficial effects, with particular emphasis on the Nrf2 transcription factor, known as the master regulator of cell protection mechanisms. These activities are based on the concept that the best way to improve healthspan and overcome the health and wellness problems associated with aging is to support the body’s own defense mechanisms that allow it to protect and rebalance itself.  The company's headquarters are in Aurora, Colorado. For further information regarding Pathways Bioscience, LLC, please visit the Company’s Website at www.pathwaysbio.com.

About NIA

The National Institute on Aging is the US federal government's lead agency for scientific research on aging. It leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. NIA is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information about NIA and its programs, visit www.nia.nih.gov.

About NIH

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.