William H. Andrews (biologist)
Encyclopedia
William Henry "Bill" Andrews, Ph.D.
(born 10 December 1951 in Saginaw, Michigan
) is an American molecular biologist
and gerontologist
whose career has centered on searching for a cure for human aging. Andrews is the founder and president of the biotechnology
company Sierra Sciences
. In 1997, he led the team at Geron Corporation that was the first to successfully identify human telomerase
.
and Margaret Andrews. As a child, Andrews was told by his father that he should grow up to become a doctor and find a cure for aging. Andrews graduated from Cate School
in 1971, from University of California, San Diego
in 1976, and earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Population Genetics at the University of Georgia
in 1981.
company Armos Corporation, which was later purchased by Codon Corporation, which in turn was purchased by Berlex Biosciences, now known as Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. In 1993, Andrews convinced Berlex to send him to an anti-aging conference at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where he met Calvin Harley of Geron Corporation. Harley gave a speech on the subject of telomere
s and telomerase
, their discovery in the organism Tetrahymena
by Elizabeth Blackburn
and Carol Greider, and on the possible connection between telomeres and aging. Harley mentioned that no one had yet been successful in cloning telomerase in human beings.
After the speech, Andrews approached Harley and told him that he could clone human telomerase for Geron in three months. Harley took him up on this offer and hired Andrews as Geron's Director of Molecular Biology. Three months and seventeen days later, Andrews' team successfully cloned the RNA component of telomerase ("hTR
"). For this discovery, Andrews and members of his team were awarded second place for "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 by the Intellectual Property Owners Association
(first place having been awarded for the invention of protease inhibitors.) Andrews' team later co-discovered the protein
component of human telomerase ("hTERT
") as well.
Further experiments by Andrews and his team demonstrated that the protein component of telomerase was inducible, and that when the gene for that component was inserted into normal human skin cells, they could divide past the Hayflick limit
and essentially stopped exhibiting replicative senescence, a likely cause of aging. Years later, these cells were deemed immortal. Typically, the only immortal human cells are our germline
and most cancer
s.
in Reno, Nevada
, to capitalize on his discoveries at Geron, with the specific goal of curing human aging. Underwritten by investors Richard Offerdahl and Pierluigi Zappacosta
, Andrews assembled a team to search for a small molecule that would bind to the telomerase repressor
, causing the body to constitutively express telomerase in the presence of that molecule.
From 1999 to 2005, Sierra Sciences' focus was to identify the telomerase repressor protein, in the hopes that a drug could be specifically designed to bind to it. During this time frame, Geron Corporation discovered TA-65
, a small-molecule telomerase activator derived from Astragalus membranaceus. Sierra Sciences tested its efficacy, and shortly thereafter, Andrews became the first paying customer to take the supplement.
In 2005, Andrews shelved Sierra Sciences' efforts to identify the telomerase repressor protein, instead switching to the "brute force" strategy of developing assays to screen large numbers of semi-random chemicals to determine whether they induced telomerase. In November 2007, after nearly two years of screening, Sierra Sciences discovered the chemical C0056784, which induces approximately 6% as much telomerase as is found in the immortal cancer cell line HeLa
.
In 2008, using C0057684 as a positive control, Sierra Sciences developed a much more sensitive real-time PCR
based high-throughput screening
assay, the "hTERT RT-PCR assay," with which they were able to screen 4,000 chemicals per week. In 2010, Andrews and Sierra Sciences entered into an agreement with John Anderson, founder of Isagenix International
, to use this assay to screen natural ingredients for telomerase activity. A year later, based on the assay's results, Isagenix launched Product B, a telomere-supporting nutraceutical.
runner, frequently running races as long as 138 miles long. In 2008 and 2009, Andrews successfully completed the Badwater Ultramarathon
, a 135-mile race through Death Valley
in temperatures exceeding 120 °F (49 °C).
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(born 10 December 1951 in Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
) is an American molecular biologist
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
and gerontologist
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
whose career has centered on searching for a cure for human aging. Andrews is the founder and president of the biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
company Sierra Sciences
Sierra Sciences
Sierra Sciences, LLC is a biotechnology company founded by William H. Andrews, former director of molecular biology at Geron Corporation. Andrews founded Sierra Sciences in 1999 in Reno, Nevada with the goal of preventing and/or reversing cellular senescence, and ultimately curing diseases...
. In 1997, he led the team at Geron Corporation that was the first to successfully identify human telomerase
Telomerase
Telomerase is an enzyme that adds DNA sequence repeats to the 3' end of DNA strands in the telomere regions, which are found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. This region of repeated nucleotide called telomeres contains non-coding DNA material and prevents constant loss of important DNA from...
.
Early life and education
Andrews was born on December 10, 1951, to television producer Ralph AndrewsRalph Andrews
Ralph Andrews is an American television producer best known for producing the hit 1960s game show You Don't Say!, the 1970s game show Celebrity Sweepstakes, and the original 1987 version of Lingo....
and Margaret Andrews. As a child, Andrews was told by his father that he should grow up to become a doctor and find a cure for aging. Andrews graduated from Cate School
Cate School
The Cate School, established in 1910 by Curtis Wolsey Cate, is a four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Carpinteria, California, United States....
in 1971, from University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
in 1976, and earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Population Genetics at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
in 1981.
Early career (1981–1999)
Andrews first worked at the biotechnologyBiotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
company Armos Corporation, which was later purchased by Codon Corporation, which in turn was purchased by Berlex Biosciences, now known as Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. In 1993, Andrews convinced Berlex to send him to an anti-aging conference at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where he met Calvin Harley of Geron Corporation. Harley gave a speech on the subject of telomere
Telomere
A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. Its name is derived from the Greek nouns telos "end" and merοs "part"...
s and telomerase
Telomerase
Telomerase is an enzyme that adds DNA sequence repeats to the 3' end of DNA strands in the telomere regions, which are found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. This region of repeated nucleotide called telomeres contains non-coding DNA material and prevents constant loss of important DNA from...
, their discovery in the organism Tetrahymena
Tetrahymena
Tetrahymena are free-living ciliate protozoa that can also switch from commensalistic to pathogenic modes of survival. They are common in fresh-water. Tetrahymena species used as model organisms in biomedical research are T. thermophila and T. pyriformis.- T...
by Elizabeth Blackburn
Elizabeth Blackburn
Elizabeth Helen Blackburn, AC, FRS is an Australian-born American biological researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies the telomere, a structure at the end of chromosomes that protects the chromosome. Blackburn co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes the...
and Carol Greider, and on the possible connection between telomeres and aging. Harley mentioned that no one had yet been successful in cloning telomerase in human beings.
After the speech, Andrews approached Harley and told him that he could clone human telomerase for Geron in three months. Harley took him up on this offer and hired Andrews as Geron's Director of Molecular Biology. Three months and seventeen days later, Andrews' team successfully cloned the RNA component of telomerase ("hTR
Telomerase RNA component
Telomerase RNA component, also known as TERC, is an RNA gene found in eukaryotes, that is a component of telomerase used to extend telomeres. Telomerase RNAs differ greatly in sequence and structure between vertebrates, ciliates and yeasts, but they share a 5' pseudoknot structure close to the...
"). For this discovery, Andrews and members of his team were awarded second place for "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 by the Intellectual Property Owners Association
Intellectual Property Owners Association
The Intellectual Property Owners Association is a trade association that is composed of owners of intellectual property and other parties interested in intellectual property law...
(first place having been awarded for the invention of protease inhibitors.) Andrews' team later co-discovered the protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
component of human telomerase ("hTERT
Telomerase reverse transcriptase
Telomerase reverse transcriptase is a catalytic subunit of the enzyme telomerase. Its absence is associated with the disorder Cri du chat....
") as well.
Further experiments by Andrews and his team demonstrated that the protein component of telomerase was inducible, and that when the gene for that component was inserted into normal human skin cells, they could divide past the Hayflick limit
Hayflick limit
The Hayflick limit is the number of times a normal cell population will divide before it stops, presumably because the telomeres reach a critical length....
and essentially stopped exhibiting replicative senescence, a likely cause of aging. Years later, these cells were deemed immortal. Typically, the only immortal human cells are our germline
Germline
In biology and genetics, the germline of a mature or developing individual is the line of germ cells that have genetic material that may be passed to a child.For example, gametes such as the sperm or the egg, are part of the germline...
and most cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
s.
Sierra Sciences (1999–present)
In 1999, Andrews founded Sierra SciencesSierra Sciences
Sierra Sciences, LLC is a biotechnology company founded by William H. Andrews, former director of molecular biology at Geron Corporation. Andrews founded Sierra Sciences in 1999 in Reno, Nevada with the goal of preventing and/or reversing cellular senescence, and ultimately curing diseases...
in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, to capitalize on his discoveries at Geron, with the specific goal of curing human aging. Underwritten by investors Richard Offerdahl and Pierluigi Zappacosta
Pierluigi Zappacosta
Pierluigi Zappacosta is a Venture Partner with Noventi and Vice President of Business Development at Sierra Sciences....
, Andrews assembled a team to search for a small molecule that would bind to the telomerase repressor
Repressor
In molecular genetics, a repressor is a DNA-binding protein that regulates the expression of one or more genes by binding to the operator and blocking the attachment of RNA polymerase to the promoter, thus preventing transcription of the genes. This blocking of expression is called...
, causing the body to constitutively express telomerase in the presence of that molecule.
From 1999 to 2005, Sierra Sciences' focus was to identify the telomerase repressor protein, in the hopes that a drug could be specifically designed to bind to it. During this time frame, Geron Corporation discovered TA-65
TA-65
TA-65 is an isolate of a proprietary extract of the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus, which is found to be connected with an "age-reversal" effect in the immune system, in that it leads to declines in the percentage of senescent cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells after six to twelve...
, a small-molecule telomerase activator derived from Astragalus membranaceus. Sierra Sciences tested its efficacy, and shortly thereafter, Andrews became the first paying customer to take the supplement.
In 2005, Andrews shelved Sierra Sciences' efforts to identify the telomerase repressor protein, instead switching to the "brute force" strategy of developing assays to screen large numbers of semi-random chemicals to determine whether they induced telomerase. In November 2007, after nearly two years of screening, Sierra Sciences discovered the chemical C0056784, which induces approximately 6% as much telomerase as is found in the immortal cancer cell line HeLa
HeLa
A HeLa cell is a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line was derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a patient who eventually died of her cancer on October 4, 1951...
.
In 2008, using C0057684 as a positive control, Sierra Sciences developed a much more sensitive real-time PCR
Real-time polymerase chain reaction
In molecular biology, real-time polymerase chain reaction, also called quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction or kinetic polymerase chain reaction , is a laboratory technique based on the PCR, which is used to amplify and simultaneously quantify a targeted DNA molecule...
based high-throughput screening
High-throughput screening
High-throughput screening is a method for scientific experimentation especially used in drug discovery and relevant to the fields of biology and chemistry. Using robotics, data processing and control software, liquid handling devices, and sensitive detectors, High-Throughput Screening allows a...
assay, the "hTERT RT-PCR assay," with which they were able to screen 4,000 chemicals per week. In 2010, Andrews and Sierra Sciences entered into an agreement with John Anderson, founder of Isagenix International
Isagenix International
Isagenix International LLC is a multilevel marketing company which sells products it says remove toxins and fat from the body. The company was founded in 2002 by John Anderson and Jim and Kathy Coover. It is based in Chandler, Arizona...
, to use this assay to screen natural ingredients for telomerase activity. A year later, based on the assay's results, Isagenix launched Product B, a telomere-supporting nutraceutical.
Personal life
Andrews is an accomplished ultramarathonUltramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
runner, frequently running races as long as 138 miles long. In 2008 and 2009, Andrews successfully completed the Badwater Ultramarathon
Badwater Ultramarathon
The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a course starting at below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney...
, a 135-mile race through Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
in temperatures exceeding 120 °F (49 °C).