Molecule’s IP-NFT is now facilitating Alzheimer´s research at the University of Oslo

The Fang Laboratory is working on the molecular mechanisms of ageing and the age-predisposed Alzheimer’s disease. Evandro Fang is a leader in the field of defective mitophagy as a key driver in Alzheimer's disease initiation and progression and he has published over 70 papers in international peer-reviewed journals including papers in Cell, Cell Metabolism, Nature Reviews MCB, and Nature Neuroscience.

Mitophagy is a central cellular process that enables our body to remove dysfunctional mitochondria. This process is impaired in the elderly, leading to the accumulation of damaged cellular organelles called mitochondria. The homoeostatic maintenance of functional mitochondria, which operate as cellular “powerhouses”, plays a pivotal role in neuroplasticity and memory and thus the disturbed removal of dysfunctional mitochondria can adversely affect neuronal function and trigger neurodegeneration.

For this project, Fang and his team aim to use their in-house artificial intelligence and wet lab validation platform to identify and characterize new drug candidates for activation of mitophagy with a positive impact on Alzheimer's disease. Fang’s work to identify new ways to rescue diminished mitophagy holds promise to combat the onset of various age related neurodegenerative diseases - research that is now enabled through Molecule’s IP-NFT.

“I am extremely grateful for the funding from as well as the collaboration with Molecule/VitaDAO community. This funding will enable us to further modify the known mitophagy inducers we identified and to identify new mitophagy inducers, with a final aim to develop drug candidates for healthy ageing and to treat Alzheimer’s disease.” - Evandro Fang

Funding through the IP-NFT

Molecule is building a comprehensive funding ecosystem for early-stage research discoveries. Apart from major key aspects within this ecosystem, both the IP-NFT itself and our marketplace (Molecule Discovery) is of particular importance. Here’s why:

1. With Molecule Discovery, researchers can submit and curate their research projects in order to attract industry-specific funders (i.e Evandro Fang’s submission, which attracted attention and funding from VitaDAO). In turn, funding is provided through Molecule’s IP-NFT framework, where intellectual property is attached to a non-fungible token and allows researchers to fundraise commercially (i.e, the funding of this project).