New healthspan supplements firm Mikra is using genetic information to create targeted, healthy-aging nutraceuticals

Photo from Mikra Cellular Sciences Inc.

Mikra Cellular Sciences Inc. is a new biosciences and wellness company focused on developing nutraceuticals to help consumers increase their healthspan. In March, the company began offering its debut product, CELLF (pronounced "self"), for presale. Of note, the company is working with Nutra Biosystems, a division of InVivo Biosystems (Eugene, OR), to collect genomics data that Mikra can then use to develop effective nutraceuticals that increase consumers’ healthspan, including bolstering cognitive health and energy.

CELLF supplements comprise single-serving sachets (which are also available on a subscription basis) containing 10 ml of vanilla-flavored liposomal liquid gel. These are designed to be taken daily to increase cellular performance and, ultimately, to increase consumer healthspan. According to the company’s website, the product’s ingredients include glutathione, which protects against oxidative stress that can otherwise accelerate cell damage and that can cause DNA mutations that lead to the development of chronic diseases; CoQ10 (in the form of ubiquinol), which improves the speed and efficiency of mitochondria; and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which stimulates mitochondrial health and provides neuroprotection and natural energy production.

The company’s formula is patent pending. The company describes the product as an “intensive superblend that is designed to help boost energy and mental focus on a cellular level. When ingested, CELLF seeks to counteract the effects of oxidative stress and damage to internal cellular systems and to bring the body back to homeostasis.”

It continues: “CELLF is a novel cellular therapeutic compound that targets consumers 30+ years of age who are beginning to notice that their biological age is affecting their everyday performance.” The company points out that oxidative stress can negatively impact cellular health, resulting in chronic inflammation, low energy, poor sleep quality, “brain fog,” and poor physical recovery.

CELLF stands out in the healthspan market because it was designed to ensure maximum absorption and protection through the digestive tract thanks to a patented delivery system, the company says. The active nutrients in CELLF are encapsulated in a “two-stage liposomal-lactoferrin complex” that ensures the active nutrients pass safely through the digestive tract in order to then be fully absorbed by the body’s cells. As the company describes on its website, “Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein, is combined with a liposomal barrier, forming an indestructible escort to get CELLF through your gut unscathed.”

In March, Mikra announced it received $8.5 million in funding from its parent company, Lifeist Wellness Inc., to further market, develop, and commercialize products.

Mikra is also currently working with genetics expert Nutra Biosystems, a division of InVivo Biosystems, on preclinical trials. Nutra Biosystems will provide genomics data on how Mikra’s products are demonstrating efficacy at a genetic level. Mikra says it will then use that data to formulate products.

Nutra Biosystems is helping Mikra collect this data by performing transcriptomics analysis. Nutra Biosystems uses animal models involving C. elegans and zebrafish to determine the genomic effects of ingredients. According to Mikra, “Essentially, Nutra Biosystems examines the amounts of mRNA present in various samples to determine which genes are increasing and decreasing in expression. With this information, scientists can map those changes to the cellular signaling pathways and ultimately get a better understanding of the mechanism of action of a nutraceutical, as well as its potential effects at the cellular level.”

Mikra says these animal research models are not only fast but also affordable and relevant, given that the gene sets of C. elegans and zebrafish are similar to that of humans. In a press release, the firm further explains, “Scientists examined the mitochondrial status of young versus old animal models and determined that nutraceutical intervention can prevent some of the fragmentation observed in older models, allowing the older muscle tissue to retain some of its youthful mitochondrial organization. Findings already indicate a response cluster in the gene pathways involved in mitochondrial health, which indicates a potential target for a molecular mechanism of action,” the firm explains. “This is just the jumping-off point, and further gene expression analysis can reveal further potential molecular mechanisms of action.”

Mikra says its goal is to help consumers feel healthier as they age, believing that “the answer lies in correcting some of the genetic and cellular damage the body endures before it builds and compounds over time.” It says that its research work with Nutra Biosystems will help “determine how genetic pathways hold the key to next-generation nutraceuticals.”

Mikra says it plans to “publish its data and clinical trials in full.” Its data will be available to other nutraceutical companies, “so they can develop and improve upon their products,” the firm says.

“We are taking the additional steps of conducting these time-consuming, costly, and extensive clinical trials because we want to document the impact that CELLF will really have on our cellular pathways. In fact, all of our scientific findings will be made public in order to demonstrate our commitment to transparent R&D,” said Faraaz Jamal, CEO of Mikra, in a press release. “For us, this is not about just producing another supplemental product out on store shelves; this is about releasing a product that has gone through extensive clinical studies that can actually improve your quality of life.”