Retro Biosciences

Retro Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for age-related diseases. The company’s primary goal is to extend the human healthspan by ten years through the rejuvenation of cellular and tissue functions. To achieve this objective, Retro conducts scientific research focused on cellular reprogramming and autophagy processes.

Retro Biosciences was established to develop therapeutic approaches that reverse biological aging. The company’s vision is not to create a paradigm shift in treating age-related diseases, but to produce scientific solutions that target their biological root causes. This strategy aims to both prevent age-associated diseases and reverse existing damage.

Retro’s research efforts focus on the cellular mechanisms of aging. The company operates four main scientific programs:

Autophagy is a fundamental biological process in which cells degrade and recycle their own components. Retro’s small-molecule drug candidates are designed to enhance autophagic flow, thereby preventing the accumulation of cellular waste and slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The company is developing a more scalable therapeutic approach by replicating in the laboratory the brain-rejuvenating effects observed in plasma exchange treatments. This program is directed at alleviating age-related neurological disorders.

Most cells in the human body are derived from blood cells produced in the bone marrow. Retro aims to enable the transplantation of rejuvenated cells by generating hematopoietic stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

This program seeks to slow and reverse the aging process within the body (in vivo) through gene therapies. Retro employs adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based reprogramming factors, particularly for conditions such as osteoarthritis and age-related hearing loss.

Retro’s drug development pipeline is advancing through various clinical stages:

• RTR242: An autophagy-enhancing small molecule drug; currently in preclinical development for Alzheimer’s disease.
• RTR888: An iPSC-derived microglial progenitor cell therapy; under development for central nervous system disorders.
• RTR890: An iPSC-derived hematopoietic stem cell therapy; being studied for blood disorders.
• Tissue Reprogramming Program: Focused on age-related conditions such as osteoarthritis and hearing loss.

Retro Biosciences has a team of more than 60 scientists, entrepreneurs, and operations experts. Founders and executives include Joe Betts-LaCroix, Jessica Sprueill, Sheng Ding, Alex Trapp, and Peng Liu. The company is also advised by renowned scientists and industry leaders in aging research, including Alejandro Ocampo, Vadim Gladyshev, Filipe Pereira, and David Rubinzstein.

Retro treats aging biology not merely as a source of disease but as a therapeutic target in its own right. The company’s strategy is based on three core principles:

1. Direct targeting of aging mechanisms,
2. Induction of reversible changes at the cellular level,
3. Acceleration of translation to clinical applications.

Retro’s goal is not only to slow the aging process but to reduce the societal impact of aging by extending the healthy human lifespan.

Retro aspires to become a company whose impact spans generations. To this end, it embraces a culture centered on scientific rigor, rapid experimental cycles, and vertical integration. Its approach to employees is built on a system that unites scientific innovation with operational efficiency.