Mitochondrial Peptides To Beat Disease & Live Longer

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On this episode of the Anti-Aging Hacks podcast, Steven Engle and Faraz Khan discuss mitochondrial peptides to beat disease and give you a longer life.

Steve Engle joined CohBar as Chief Executive Officer and Director in 2019. From 2011 to 2019, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Averigon, an advisory firm to the life science industry. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Engle was Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of XOMA Corporation (NASDAQ: XOMA), a publicly traded biotechnology company developing antibody therapeutics for multiple diseases.

He is a former director of the board of the industry associations, BIO, BayBio and BIOCOM. Mr. Engle received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in biomedical engineering and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin.

Steve Engle’s Background

Was a founder in the nicotine patch industry
Was looking at a new venture in the health space
He learned that mitochondria were controlling many processes in the body
His company Cohbar is looking to create mitochondrial peptides to beat disease

Why are mitochondria so important?

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell
Each cell has hundreds or thousands of mitochondria
Mitochondria are highly concentrated in brain, heart and ovaries
Problems occur when mitochondria stop working well or when there are too few of them
Genetics and epigenetics can influence mitochondria
Doug Wallace is studying mitochondrial genome and it’s dysfunction
The cellular genome changes very slowly, but the mitochondrial genome could change faster

What does the mitochondrial genome do?

Produces energy via the electron transfer chain and ATP
Inside the mitochondrial genome, there are peptides that can go around the body
They change how organs and systems work in the body
These peptides can have effects in metabolic systems, oncology and longevity
Cohbar is developing molecules that can be used as therapies: mitochondrial peptides to beat disease

What causes damage to the mitochondria?

If you are eating too much food, that can cause more ROS
A younger body can handle insults to the mitochondria, but it gets difficult with age
DNA in mitochondria is not as well protected
Exercise is key for mitochondria
We need sleep to recover

What improves mitochondrial health?

Sleep, exercise, metabolic health
Get enough sunlight
Supplements can help. Check out my podcast with Shawn Wells on the best supplements for energy.
Intermittent fasting
Mental health and meditation
The people you hang out with
Breathwork

The 2-pronged approach to mitochondrial health

Create more mitochondria in your body
Reduce/recycle the damaged mitochondria which is done via autophagy/mitophagy

Symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction

Mitochondria generate signals via peptides
Dysfunction leads to metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases
Cohbar is also working on obesity and fatty liver disease (NASH)

How Cohbar working on mitochondrial peptides to beat disease?

Improved on the MOTS-C peptide originally discovered by Dr. Steve Cohen
Cohbar is improving the MOTS-C peptide
They’ve discovered over 100 peptides from the mitochondrial genome
These relate to ARDS, oncology and more
They are exploring these peptides to determine which ones are efficient

Targeting inside the cell or outside the cell

Cohbar is targeting peptides that can go into the blood and affect systemic diseases
Cohbar sees developing therapeutics that can be injected into the blood or taken as a supplement
They are mimicking the natural machinery of the mitochondria since it is already part of our body
The FDA studies are still required, but the starting point is your body’s own defense
Firstly, Cohbar wants to use mitochondrial peptides to beat disease.
Next up, the goal is to help influence lifespan and health span by enhancing mitochondrial function