Retro Biosciences, OpenAI & Expansion plan

The intersection of AI and biotechnology is unlocking new opportunities to revolutionize longevity. Few developments capture this potential quite like the new collaboration between Retro Biosciences and OpenAI, where cutting-edge AI tools are being applied to cellular reprogramming for longevity. As part of this bold push, Retro Biosciences is also raising $1 billion—with backing from Sam Altman—to accelerate its longevity programs. This funding drive positions the company to rapidly translate AI-driven breakthroughs into real-world therapies, with its first clinical trial expected this year.

A Game-Changing Collaboration

Retro Biosciences, the company funded by Sam Altman with $180 million in 2022, recently partnered with OpenAI to tackle one of the biggest challenges in longevity: cellular reprogramming.

• The Problem: The process of cellular reprogramming is slow and inefficient, with less than 1% of cells treated completing the rejuvenation process. This inefficiency has limited its practical applications.

• The Breakthrough: By leveraging OpenAI’s AI model, ChatGPT4b, researchers were able to improve the effectiveness of cellular reprogramming by 50 times. ChatGPT4b was specifically trained on biological data to re-engineer Yamanaka factors, the proteins responsible for converting regular cells into stem cells.

• Validation: While these early results are promising, they are still preliminary. OpenAI and Retro Biosciences plan to publish their findings so the wider scientific community can validate them.

$1 Billion Expansion Plan

Retro Biosciences is scaling up its with a $1 billion funding round to accelerate multiple longevity programs simultaneously. The company is reportedly in discussions with family offices, venture capitalists, and sovereign wealth funds to secure the capital needed for its next phase of development.

Key focus areas in their longevity research include:

• Cellular Reprogramming – Making aged cells behave like younger ones, an area recently enhanced by their collaboration with OpenAI.

• Plasma-Derived Therapies – Developing treatments inspired by the rejuvenating properties of young blood plasma.

• Autophagy Enhancement – Boosting the body’s natural ability to remove accumulated cellular waste, a process crucial for longevity.

Among these, autophagy enhancement is the most advanced, with Retro Biosciences expecting to launch its first clinical trial in this area later this year. CEO Joe Betts-LaCroix emphasized that their approach is focused on clearing out biological “waste” rather than targeting specific signaling pathways.

AI & Biotech

AI is rapidly becoming a key player in longevity science, with multiple companies leveraging machine learning for breakthrough discoveries. Beyond cellular reprogramming, AI is being used to predict protein structures, design novel drugs, and identify biomarkers of aging. As these technologies evolve, AI-driven longevity solutions could move from the lab into real-world applications faster than ever before.

However, despite these breakthroughs, scientific validation is crucial before cellular reprogramming and autophagy therapies can be widely adopted. AI-generated protein designs and reprogramming methods need rigorous testing to ensure they translate from preliminary lab results into real, effective treatments. Additionally, scaling up these therapies for widespread use presents challenges in regulatory approval, affordability, and accessibility.