For the first time, $300,000 has been raised by a community to fund and steer innovative research for a single treatment, addressing multiple aspects of aging. VitaDAO has successfully tokenized its second IP-NFT, Artan Bio, supporting a groundbreaking gene therapy project led by biotech experts Dr. Michael Torres and Dr. Anthony Schwartz.
Meet the team
Dr. Torres, who holds a PhD in Cancer Biology from UT-Southwestern in Dallas, has previously co-founded ReCode Therapeutics, a clinical-stage genetic medicines company that has secured over $300M in funding. He now works as the CEO of CrossBridge Bio, an oncology-focused company focused on developing next-generation dual payload antibody-drug conjugates
Dr. Anthony Schwartz, a VitaDAO Entrepreneur in Residence, will act as the project manager for this project. He has founded at least 15 startups, primarily focused on autoimmune diseases and cancer, which have led to large financings and an FDA-approved product. He is also a lecturer at Johns Hopkins.
Artan Bio’s Mission
Artan Bio is pioneering the promising field of gene therapies. The company aims to develop therapeutic candidates to suppress mutations driving aging through genetic factors. Led by experienced entrepreneurs who have advanced drug development platforms into human clinical trials, Artan Bio is at the forefront of innovative medical research.
Decentralized Science: A New Era of Research
The Decentralized Science narrative uses blockchain and decentralization to improve funding and collaboration in science. VitaDAO funds and develops real-world research using Molecule’s IP-NFT and IPT frameworks. IP-NFTs tokenize intellectual property on the blockchain, while IPTs (Intellectual Property Tokens) are fungible tokens representing ownership of the associated scientific research IP-NFT, placing control in the hands of the community.
Real-World Assets and Overcoming the Valley of Death
One of the biggest challenges in scientific research and drug development is the “valley of death,” where early-stage discoveries often fail to reach patients. By tokenizing real-world assets like intellectual property, VitaDAO empowers the community to directly support and benefit from scientific advancements.
This decentralized model allows members to vote on IP governance, input on research priorities, and influence fund allocation, paving the way for transparent, inclusive, and equitable medical innovation.
Introducing VITARNA
VitaDAO’s 2nd launch of IPTs is VITARNA, enabling token holders to interact directly with the work of Artan Bio. This team is committed to identifying compounds that could potentially suppress gene mutations driving aging. VITARNA is one of the earliest applications of IPTs. A total of 5,000,000 (one million) VITARNA IP Tokens were minted using the Artan Bio IP-NFT.
- 20% of the supply will be sold to VITA token holders; these tokens will be vested for 12 months.
- Project researchers will receive 16% of the total supply over a 4-year vesting period.
- 4% will be distributed to service and technology partners.
- VitaDAO retains 60% of the total VITARNA supply of which 4 % is reserved for distribution to the VitaDAO community who contribute to building the project.
Research and Development Goals
Artan Bio’s initial support from VitaDAO, via a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA), funds the design and validation of their engineered suppressor system (VDP-103) in cells with targetable mutations. The goal is to confirm the validity of this approach. Artan Bio seeks to continue development beyond the initial project to further IP development and validate the system in animal models, supporting preclinical translation and establishing a candidate for clinical trials.
A Groundbreaking Path
While the research is in its early stages, extensive testing in pre-clinical and clinical studies is necessary to evaluate safety and efficacy before any treatments become available. By pooling resources and brainpower, VitaDAO and Artan Bio aim to achieve breakthrough solutions that could lead to longevity for all.`
VitaRNA Website: https://vitarna.xyz/
VitaRNA contract address: 0x7b66e84be78772a3afaf5ba8c1993a1b5d05f9c2
VitaRNA on Uni V3:
VitaRNA on Coingecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/vitarna
