Rubedo Life Sciences’ Drug Discovery Platform, ALEMBIC™, Helps Identify Senescent or “Zombie” Neurons in New Study Linking Neuropathic Pain and Aging Published in Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal Nature Neuroscience
Study is the first demonstration of senescent neurons driving neuropathic pain[1]
Rubedo’s proprietary, AI-driven drug discovery platform ALEMBIC™ identified senescent neurons as novel therapeutic targets[2]
Image created by Clara Leibenguth for Stanford University; featured on cover of May 2025 issue of Nature Neuroscience.
About the Study
In the study, researchers found that injury to peripheral axons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons results in sensory dysfunction, such as pain. This occurs at higher rates in aged individuals. Furthermore, cellular senescence is common to both aging and injury, and contributes to this sensory dysfunction. Elimination of senescent cells results in pain improvement, indicating a potential target for new pain therapeutics.[1]
“Chronic pain continues to be an area with high unmet need, especially among older adults. In this study, aging markedly increased the burden of senescent or ‘zombie’ neurons, which in turn worsened neuropathic pain severity. These insights demonstrate that selective targeting of senescent-like neurons may lead to novel strategies for the management of chronic pain,”[1] said Vivianne, L. Tawfik, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and the senior author of the study. “We appreciate the valuable support and expertise from the Rubedo team during this research.”
About Rubedo Life Sciences
Rubedo Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biotech developing a broad portfolio of innovative selective cellular rejuvenation medicines targeting aging cells that drive chronic age-related diseases. Our proprietary AI-driven ALEMBIC™ drug discovery platform is developing novel first-in-class small molecules to selectively target pathologic and senescent cells, which play a key role in the progression of pulmonary, dermatological, oncological, neurodegenerative, fibrotic, and other chronic disorders. Our lead drug candidate - RLS-1496, a potential first-in-class disease-altering GPX4 modulator - is set to begin Phase I clinical trials in Spring of 2025, marking the first ever GPX4 modulator to enter a human clinical trial. The Rubedo leadership team is composed of industry leaders and early pioneers in chemistry, AI technology, longevity science, and life sciences, with expertise in drug development and commercialization from both large pharmaceutical and leading biotechnology companies. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, USA, and has offices in Milan, Italy. For additional information, visit www.rubedolife.com.
References
[1]. Donovan, L.J., Brewer, C.L., Bond, S.F. et al. Aging and injury drive neuronal senescence in the dorsal root ganglia. Nat Neurosci (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01954-x
[2]. Data on file, Rubedo Life Sciences, Sunnyvale, CA 94085.
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Contact
Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc.
Ali Siam
Rubedo Chief Business Officer
781-974-9559
alisiam@rubedolife.com
Peter Collins
908-499-1200
p.collins@togorun.com
This news is a press release provided by Rubedo Life Sciences, Inc..
