Seraphina Therapeutics announces first nutritional deficiency syndrome discovered in over 75 years
SAN DIEGO, June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A new nutritional deficiency syndrome has been discovered, which is the first in over 75 years.
As published in the scientific journal Metabolites, low body levels of C15:0 (also called pentadecanoic acid) can result in fragile cells that accelerate cellular aging and increase the risk of developing chronic metabolic, heart, and liver conditions. This nutritional C15:0 deficiency syndrome has been named Cellular Fragility Syndrome and may be impacting as many as 1 in 3 people worldwide.
"The discovery of a nutritional C15:0 deficiency syndrome is the culmination of over a decade of rigorous studies," shared Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, the lead author and co-founder of Seraphina Therapeutics. "As a hopeful inspiration to fellow and future scientists, this shows that there are still simple and impactful discoveries to be made that can meaningfully improve global health."
C15:0 is a stable, odd-chain saturated fatty acid that is primarily present in whole fat dairy, but can also be found in some types of fish and plants. Numerous studies have shown that people with low C15:0 levels have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (also called NAFLD). Population-wide C15:0 levels have been declining, primarily due to increasing avoidance of whole fat dairy products. Lowered daily intake of cow's milk has worsened with each generation, a trend that the United States Department of Agriculture describes as "difficult to reverse".
In the latest Metabolites paper, Dr. Venn-Watson summarizes studies that demonstrate how low levels of C15:0 in cell membranes (≤ 0.2% total fatty acids) result in ferroptosis, which is a type of cell death discovered by scientists at Columbia University during 2012. Since then, there have been over 10,000 scientific papers published on ferroptosis, which has been linked to accelerated aging, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and NAFLD, all of which have been on the rise, especially among younger adults. The cause of ferroptosis had remained a mystery.
"A somewhat mysterious type of cell death, called ferroptosis, showed up as our C15:0 levels have been declining," said Dr. Venn-Watson. "We have demonstrated not only that low C15:0 can lead to ferroptosis and its downstream complications, but that replenishing these levels directly halts all core components of this new cell killer."
In the latest paper, evidence is provided to explain how nutritional C15:0 deficiencies cause cellular fragility and ferroptosis. Additionally, a series of studies show that increasing C15:0 via the diet or supplementation reverses all core components of ferroptosis by stabilizing cell membranes, stopping liver iron deposition, repairing mitochondria, and lowering reactive oxygen species. As a result, C15:0 supplementation lowered glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, repaired liver function, and improved red blood cell health in relevant models. Demonstrating that a lack of a nutrient causes a condition, and that restoration of that nutrient fixes the condition are hallmarks of a nutritional deficiency.
Most people today have C15:0 levels around 0.2% of total fatty acids. While studies support that people need to maintain circulating C15:0 levels between 0.2% and 0.4% to protect against Cellular Fragility Syndrome, there is evidence that higher C15:0 levels can further support longevity and long-term heart health. A prospective cohort study that followed more than 4,000 people over 16 years showed that those with C15:0 levels between 0.40% to 0.55% had the lowest risk of developing heart disease. In a separate study, people living in the High Longevity "Blue" Zone of Sardinia, Italy had three times higher C15:0 levels (0.64%) compared to the general population and people living in a Low Longevity Zone (0.2%). The Sardinian diet primarily replaces meat with high C15:0-content cheeses made from local, mountainous grazing goats and sheep.
Interestingly, Sardinia has the highest percentage of men in the world who live to at least 100 years of age, which has been attributed to fewer deaths from heart disease. C15:0 has numerous activities known to enhance longevity and has been shown to have more cellular benefits than the leading longevity-enhancing molecules: rapamycin, metformin, and acarbose.
"There are two big benefits of a discovered nutritional deficiency syndrome," shared Dr. Venn-Watson. "The first is that C15:0 can be measured to identify people who have low levels. The second is that we can drive meaningful changes in our diets and global nutritional guidelines to help replenish population wide C15:0 levels and fix these deficiencies."
About Seraphina Therapeutics. Inc.
Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc. is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics. Through rigorous breakthrough science, the company develops fatty acid supplements, food fortifiers, and nutritional interventions to strengthen cells, keep mitochondria working and advance cellular homeostasis to counter age-related breakdown. With its team of industry-leading scientists, Seraphina Therapeutics challenges long-held approaches to nutrition, enabling the creation of novel health products designed to support quality of life. For more information, please visit DiscoverC15.com and fatty15.com.
Media Contact
Seraphina Theraputics, Fatty15, 1-619-407-9225, [email protected], fatty15.com
SOURCE Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc.
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