#15 Parkinson's Disease & Mitochondrial Dysfunction | Andy Lee, COO Vincere Biosciences

My guest today is Andy Lee who is the Chief Operating Officer at Vincere Biosciences. Vincere is working to stop Parkinson’s disease by creating small molecules or drugs that target mitochondrial dysfunction. There is increasing evidence that a dysfunctional mitochondria can lead to the onset of Parkinson’s disease. 

In today’s conversation, we discussed the science behind a dysfunctional mitochondria and mitophagy, the relationship between the mitochondria and Parkinson’s disease, and whether certain mitochondria boosting supplements like Urolithin A and Coq10 that delay the onset of Parkinson’s. We also discussed the biological simulation and computational biology platform used by Vincere - they use AI systems that can be used to screen drugs & targets and simulate cell environments. Finally, we spoke about the challenges with running a biotech company.   

Andy comes from a background in technology and computer science background and he combined it with biology to create Vincere Biosciences.

All platforms / Episode Show Notes: https://livelongerworld.substack.com/p/alee 

Find the previous podcast episodes & subscribe to be notified: https://www.livelongerworld.com/podcast 

Sign up for Premium Subscriber Summarized Show Notes on Key Points: https://www.livelongerworld.com/premium 

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/livelongerworld

One-Time support: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/livelongerworld 

ANDY LEE / VINCERE BIO LINKS: 

Vincere Website: https://vincerebio.com/

Andy Lee Twitter: https://twitter.com/andy_d_lee

LIVE LONGER WORLD LINKS: 

Website: https://www.livelongerworld.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/livelongerworld

Newsletter: https://livelongerworld.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longevityfuture/

Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/livelongerworld

Podcast All Platforms: https://anchor.fm/livelongerworld

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LiveLongerWorld

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3eZAoAp

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3eZB6O5

Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3HN0keG

Premium Subscriber Benefits: https://www.livelongerworld.com/premium

TIMESTAMPS: 

0:00 Live Longer World Intro 

0:34 Andy Lee & Vincere Bio Intro 

1:55 Vincere & the connection between mitochondria & Parkinson's 

7:39 Mitophagy & Parkinson’s disease 

16:29 Role of USP30 in Mitochondria & Parkinson’s 

22:26 Vincere small molecules testing 

25:18 Other pathways affected during Parkinson's 

30:53 Computation Biology Platform used by Vincere 

36:50 Urolithin A & Coq10 to help with Parkinson’s 

39:45 Biomarkers for Mitophagy 

42:46 Too much mitophagy? 

44:50 Challenges running a biotech company 

48:19 Path forward for Vincere 

49:36 Support, share and follow Live Longer World!

Want Summarized Notes on Key Points Discussed in the Podcast? Gain access by signing up as a premium subscriber. Your contribution supports my work and the advancement of longevity science!   

Key points summarized in the show notes for premium subscribers include: 

1. The connection between Mitochondrial quality control & Parkinson’s disease 

2. Mitophagy and the science behind targeting the mitochondria 

3. Overview of the Biological Simulation Platform used by Vincere Bio 

4. Can compounds like Urolithin A & Coq10 that target the mitochondria delay Parkinson’s 

5. Challenges with running a Biotech Co.

Learn more on Premium Subscriber Benefits: https://www.livelongerworld.com/premium

Ep. Show notes: https://livelongerworld.substack.com/p/alee