Calico, a company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies to increase understanding of the biology that controls human lifespan, and UC San Francisco have partnered on an innovative project to develop potential therapies for cognitive decline.
Under the agreement, Calico will receive an exclusive license to technology discovered in the laboratory of Peter Walter, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF. Walter is an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, member of the US National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of the prestigious Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award in 2014.
The agreement is focused on modulators of the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), a set of processes activated in cells under conditions of stress. Under some circumstances, the ISR can be deleterious. For example, under certain circumstances the ISR may contribute to memory decline, a significant problem potentially addressed by the licensed technology.
“We are delighted to enter into this agreement with UCSF and we are excited to translate these research findings into potential treatments for age-related cognitive disorders,” commented Hal Barron, Calico’s President of Research and Development. “Peter is a world-class basic scientist whose insights have fundamentally changed our understanding of how cells function under stress.”
The work conducted in the Walter laboratory was led by Carmela Sidrauski, a former UCSF researcher, and now a scientist at Calico. “Calico will be a great partner to explore the promise of our research,” said Peter Walter. “Their commitment includes conducting key additional research, hiring outstanding investigators like Carmela, and providing critical development expertise.”
Under the terms of the agreement, UCSF will receive an undisclosed up-front fee, and potential milestone and royalty payments. Calico will take responsibility for further research, development and commercialization of resulting therapeutics.
UCSF is the nation’s leading university exclusively focused on health. Now celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding as a medical college, UCSF is dedicated to transforming health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with world-renowned programs in the biological sciences, a preeminent biomedical research enterprise and top-tier hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
This partnership was facilitated by the UCSF Office of Innovation, Technology & Alliances (ITA), which coordinates UCSF’s efforts in forging collaborations and licensing technologies that translate cutting-edge science on campus into therapies and products that directly benefit patients worldwide.
Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is a Google-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies to increase our understanding of the biology that controls lifespan. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives.
Source: UCSF
