Klotho Neurosciences launches genomics tests to measure biological age and sharpen neurodegenerative trials.
Aging is something we mark with birthdays, but inside the body, time moves differently.
Nebraska-based biotech Klotho Neurosciences says it wants to measure that internal clock more precisely. The gene and cell therapy company has announced the development of two genomics-based diagnostic tests, including what it calls the “Klotho Clock,” designed to assess biological age, not just the number of candles on a cake [1].
The move is a shift for the company, which is best known for pursuing gene and cell therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases. Now, it is building the tools to measure aging itself, with plans to use the diagnostics in its clinical trials and eventually offer them as a service in the longevity field.
At the center of this effort is alpha-Klotho, often referred to as an “antiaging” gene because of its role in regulating processes linked to healthy lifespan.
Chronological age is simple: it’s how long you’ve been alive. Biological age is more complicated. It reflects how your cells and tissues are functioning and it can run ahead of, or lag behind, the calendar.
Klotho’s first test focuses on DNA methylation, a chemical tagging process that influences whether genes are active or silent. Over time, increased methylation of the Klotho gene can effectively switch it off, lowering Klotho protein levels across tissues.
In practical terms, the company is developing a blood-based test that analyzes cell-free DNA – tiny fragments of genetic material circulating in the bloodstream – to determine the extent of methylation in the Klotho gene. More methylation generally signals more biological aging.
The second test, the “Klotho Clock,” goes further. It measures not only DNA sequences but also mRNA, the working copies that show whether a gene is actively producing proteins. Alongside Klotho, the clock assesses eight other genes associated in scientific literature with longevity and healthy lifespan.
Think of it as checking both the blueprint and the construction site. The DNA shows the plan, while the mRNA shows whether the plan is actually being carried out.
Dr Joseph Sinkule, founder and CEO of Klotho, noted that this represents a unique opportunity to screen patients with neurodegenerative diseases for the company’s clinical trials. He explained that this approach ensures that their randomized studies are properly balanced and stratified by patients’ biological age and DNA methylation levels of the human Klotho gene and promoter.
“Similar to many other human genes, the hypermethylation of the Klotho gene and its promoter are key events that occur over time that ultimately silence the gene and lower the Klotho protein levels in all tissues,” he said.
Sinkule added that by balancing biological age, the researchers can avoid a situation in which the placebo group is “less biologically aged” or healthier than the treated group, which would otherwise skew the study’s results.
In other words, if one group in a trial is biologically younger, even if participants are the same chronological age, the results could be skewed. A biological aging clock could help ensure a fairer comparison between treatment and placebo arms, particularly in diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s, where progression can vary widely.
For investors and observers of the longevity sector, that’s notable. Precision in measuring biological age could strengthen trial design, potentially improving the reliability of outcomes in a field where failure rates remain high.
From sequencing to AI
To lead its evolving diagnostic program, Klotho has enlisted Dr Bret Barnes, who previously worked at Illumina for 18 years, developing DNA methylation and other genomics assays.
Barnes noted that Klotho’s assay distinguishes itself from other market offerings by utilizing innovative probe designs that target underlying human genetic variation. He highlighted that this approach improves accuracy and reduces costs, while the resulting data integrates seamlessly with their AI-based clocks.
“Besides DNA methylation detection, the software supporting our assay can provide information on Copy Number Variants (‘CNVs’) and Single Nucleotide Variants (‘SNVs’), thus creating new, more robust ‘multiomics’ capabilities,” he added.
Stripped of jargon, this means the test aims to gather multiple layers of genetic information and feed them into artificial intelligence systems that refine the aging clock over time. The more data the company collects, the more accurate and predictive the clock could become.
A prototype assay is expected in 2026. Beyond supporting internal trials, Klotho anticipates that a cost-effective diagnostic product could generate early revenue while building a database to improve and expand its clock models.
The longevity play
Klotho Neurosciences is fundamentally a therapeutic company, developing gene and cell therapies derived from the human Klotho gene to target neurodegenerative and age-related disorders. The diagnostic pivot does not replace that strategy; it reinforces it.
Longevity.Technology: If longevity science has learned anything over the past decade, it is that measuring aging is as important as attempting to modify it. Clocks, from epigenetic to proteomic, are becoming central tools in the sector, guiding everything from drug development to consumer health testing.
Klotho’s bet is that anchoring an aging clock around a gene already central to its therapeutic platform creates strategic alignment. The same molecule it seeks to elevate in patients becomes the biomarker it uses to measure decline and, potentially, improvement.
