In the dynamic world of longevity science, the frontier is constantly shifting. From senolytics that target aging cells to gene-editing technologies that rewire biology itself, the mission is bold: extend human healthspan, not just lifespan. Now, a new biotech startup named Junevity is emerging with a distinctive strategy—resetting aged cells at the molecular level using small RNA therapeutics.
Their approach fuses cutting-edge artificial intelligence with a deep understanding of cellular aging. The goal? To reverse the transcriptional chaos that accumulates with age and underpins some of the most widespread chronic diseases on the planet—including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and frailty.
At its heart is a novel platform called RESET, a data- and AI-driven engine developed by co-founder Dr. Janine Sengstack during her PhD in Cellular Aging at UCSF. Today, with $10 million in seed funding and a highly credentialed team, Junevity is poised to become a key player in redefining how we approach aging and metabolic disease from the ground upindex (10).
Reimagining Aging: From Decline to Reset
We’re used to thinking of aging as an inevitable decline—like a candle burning out, or a machine slowly wearing down. But what if aging, at least in part, is a reversible state?
Dr. Sengstack’s research suggests that many age-related conditions are driven not just by damage, but by disrupted gene expression—a breakdown in the cellular instructions that dictate how proteins are made, how energy is processed, and how tissues repair themselvesindex (10).
Her insight: if we could identify the misfiring transcription factors—proteins that control large networks of gene expression—we might be able to nudge cells back toward a younger, healthier state.
This foundational idea became the backbone of the RESET platform: an AI-guided system that analyzes vast datasets to uncover key transcriptional regulators driving disease, then designs RNA-based therapies to switch them off.
What Is RESET? A Cell-Level Reboot Engine
RESET is both a philosophy and a technology platform. It operates on the premise that aging-related diseases share a common signature: transcriptional dysregulation. The genes aren’t broken, but their regulation is off.
Using billions of data points from human disease states, RESET identifies transcription factors that become persistently overactive or misregulated with age. These factors are then ranked and mapped into what Junevity calls the Cell RESET Atlas—a catalog of intervention points across different cell types and disease contextsindex (10).
From there, the platform designs short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to silence these targets with remarkable specificity. The result is a type of “molecular therapy” that doesn’t alter DNA, but recalibrates how that DNA is read.
This level of granularity—resetting entire cellular programs rather than targeting single disease markers—has the potential to transform therapeutic approaches for complex, aging-related disorders.
From Data to Drug: Targeting Diabetes, Obesity, and Frailty
Junevity’s first targets are not obscure genetic diseases, but global health burdens: type 2 diabetes, obesity, and frailty. These conditions are intricately linked to aging and collectively impact billions of lives.
Why start here?
“These diseases share transcriptional damage as a core feature,” Dr. Sengstack explains. “We’ve seen in our models that by silencing the right transcription factors, we can restore key functions in these cells and tissues. It’s like flipping a switch from disease back to health”index (10).
Preclinical Success
In mouse models of type 2 diabetes, Junevity’s lead siRNA candidate:
- Improved glucose control
- Enhanced insulin sensitivity
- Avoided the weight gain associated with common insulin sensitizers
In obesity models, their second candidate:
- Improved fat metabolism
- Suppressed appetite
- Produced a 30% weight loss—largely through fat loss, not muscle wasting
Equally important, both drug candidates are designed for long-acting administration, potentially requiring only 1–4 doses per year. This could dramatically improve adherence compared to daily or weekly injectionsindex (10).
The Science Behind the Simplicity: What Are siRNAs?
At the core of Junevity’s strategy are short interfering RNAs (siRNAs)—tiny snippets of RNA that can block the expression of specific genes. When introduced into cells, siRNAs bind to matching messenger RNA (mRNA) sequences and mark them for destruction.
The result? The targeted protein simply isn’t made.
This approach has several major advantages:
- Precision: siRNAs can be designed to hit exact sequences, minimizing off-target effects.
- Reversibility: They do not permanently change DNA.
- Safety: By repressing (rather than overactivating) genes, they reduce the risk of runaway biological processes.
- Durability: Some siRNA therapies in use today last for months after a single injection.
Junevity leverages all these strengths, but with a twist: using AI to choose the best transcription factor targets, not just structural or surface proteins.
Beyond Genetics: A Systems-Level View of Disease
One of Junevity’s key insights is that aging-related diseases often don’t involve mutated genes—but misregulated ones.
“In diabetes, for example, it’s not that the genes are broken,” says CEO Dr. John Hoekman. “It’s that the balance of gene expression has gone awry. We can use siRNAs to rebalance that expression—essentially teaching the cell how to behave like it did when it was younger”index (10).
This idea reflects a broader trend in geroscience: the shift from treating isolated symptoms to modifying the underlying biological programs of aging. It also opens the door to broader applications, including:
- Neurodegenerative diseases (where transcriptional drift disrupts neuron function)
- Cardiovascular aging
- Immune decline
- Sarcopenia and muscle wasting
Culture and Leadership: The Junevity Way
Founded in 2023 in San Francisco, Junevity was born from deep academic roots. Its founding team brings together expertise in cellular aging, AI, and drug development:
- Dr. Janine Sengstack, PhD – Chief Scientific Officer and inventor of the RESET platform during her UCSF PhD work
- Dr. John Hoekman, PhD – CEO, previously known for developing Trudhesa®, an FDA-approved drug
- Rob Cahill – COO, with a background in AI and healthcare entrepreneurshipindex (10)
The team describes its workplace culture as built around “mission, excellence, and pace.” There’s a clear sense of urgency—aging won’t wait, and neither will they.
Backing them is a network of investors and advisors, including Brent Saunders, former CEO of Bausch + Lomb, who praises Junevity’s “novel approach and incredible early data”index (10).
Longevity With a Purpose: Resetting the Narrative on Aging
What makes Junevity’s story compelling isn’t just the science—it’s the broader vision. They’re not just making drugs for disease; they’re crafting a toolkit for cellular renewal, one that could extend not just life—but quality of life.
Their approach suggests a future where we don’t wait for disease to strike, but instead use precise molecular tools to tune the body’s internal programs toward resilience, regeneration, and longer healthspan.
This is not anti-aging snake oil. It’s real, targeted, data-driven therapeutics grounded in years of biology and backed by a growing stack of preclinical evidence.
What’s Next?
With funding secured, patents filed, and promising data in hand, Junevity is now advancing its lead candidates toward clinical trials. If successful, this could mark the debut of a new class of therapies—drugs that don’t just treat disease, but reset the aging process itself at the transcriptional level.
In parallel, the company is expanding its Cell RESET Atlas, exploring targets for other conditions linked to aging, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular decline, and even immune senescence.
Every step brings us closer to a world where we don’t just live longer—we live better, stronger, and more in tune with our body’s own capacity to heal.
Final Thoughts: A New Chapter in Longevity Medicine
Junevity represents the best of what modern biotechnology can offer: an elegant blend of computational precision, biological insight, and human aspiration.
Their story is still unfolding, but the early signals are promising. As the world grapples with rising rates of metabolic disease and the burden of an aging population, companies like Junevity remind us that the future of medicine may be written not in pills—but in pixels and proteins, data and RNA.
And perhaps, one day soon, resetting the age of our cells will be as routine as resetting our phones—refreshing the system, clearing the errors, and giving our bodies the chance to begin again.