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Ronald DePinho

Co-Founder & Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, Tvardi Therapeutics, Inc.

Search every verified Ronald DePinho interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Ronald DePinho, co-founder and chairman of the scientific advisory board at Iteos Therapeutics, has recently focused on the biology of aging and the potential to intervene therapeutically. In a May 2025 TEDx talk, he described aging as a disease that underpins cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's, noting that after age 60 the incidence of these diseases doubles every five years. He stated that his team screened about one million compounds and identified a telomerase activator compound (TAC) that restored telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) levels to youthful levels in mice, penetrated the blood-brain barrier, and reduced hallmarks of aging such as senescent cells and inflammation without observed side effects. DePinho argued that rather than reacting to these diseases, science could "cut them off at their source" and usher in an era of regenerative medicine. In a December 2024 podcast, DePinho elaborated on the non-canonical functions of TERT, stating that it acts as a transcriptional co-activator and that restoring physiological TERT levels in aged mice reversed degenerative phenotypes, including improved cognition and neuromuscular function. He cautioned that the anti-aging field has been driven by "irrational exuberance" and that rigorous safety studies are needed before human translation. In a January 2024 interview, DePinho also emphasized the importance of policy in public health, citing the U.S. law raising the tobacco purchase age to 21 as a measure he said would save 57,000 lives per year and $38 billion in healthcare costs. He has continued to advocate for cancer prevention, early detection via blood tests, and the use of artificial intelligence and telemedicine to expand access to care.

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