In Montpellier, REGEnLife, a start-up specializing in neurotechnologies, relies on light to treat mild to moderate forms of Alzheimer’s disease.
It is currently carrying out a clinical study to validate the efficacy of a medical device that acts simultaneously on the brain and intestine with different light sources, LEDs and lasers in the red and near-infrared spectrums.
The helmet developed is said to be effective in the treatment of concussions, and therefore also promising for athletes.
There is still no effective cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 900,000 people in France, with almost 225,000 new cases every year. However, Montpellier-based start-up REGEnLIFE intends to use light, based on photobiomodulation technology, to treat Alzheimer’s disease. ” Our aim is to offer a medical device consisting of a helmet and an abdominal belt to stimulate cells using three light sources, LEDs and lasers in the red and near-infrared (NIR) spectrums “, explains Patrice Cristofini, the company’s CEO.
“The REGEnLIFE bet is that light emissions act on mitochondria and inflammation”.
The helmet developed by the company is made up of some twenty modules and pins that reach the scalp. Each module contains three light sources. “ The advantage is that our approach is non-invasive. We also target the gut, as the microbiota is also implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. It is thought that intestinal toxins accentuate the inflammatory phenomenon in neurons. “The company is supported by, among others, Professor Jacques Touchon, an international specialist in Alzheimer’s disease.
A far-reaching ambition
REGEnLIFE’s wager is that light emissions act on mitochondria and inflammation. “ We believe that by regenerating mitochondria, we can regenerate neuronal cells. We also hope to act on the inflammatory aspect of the disease. “For patients, it involves regular twenty-minute sessions. ” Our first clinical study was limited because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we have launched a new double-blind one to prove the efficacy of tri-photonic photobiomodulation [stimulation using three light sources] on mild and moderate forms of Alzheimer’s. ” Although the company will not have the results of its clinical study for another two years, it plans to raise 5 to 6 million euros this year, and another 40 to 50 million euros by the end of 2025. Objective: to finance clinical trials on depression and multiple sclerosis. ” We’re also going to work on AI to enable doctors to choose which protocols to implement depending on the patient “, explains the entrepreneur. ” For the time being, we need to be able to prove the efficacy of photobiomodulation. It’s important to remember that our aim is to offer a treatment, not a preventive tool. ”
Treating concussion
The helmet proposed by the start-up seems to be proving its worth with concussion victims, a field for which targeted interventions and treatments are limited, if not absent. The company conducted a ” promising ” small-scale study at the end of 2022 involving some 50 concussed rugby players, and is optimistic about the benefits of tri-photonic stimulation for this type of patient. ” Within seven days, they were doing better, and we actually saw an improvement in visual testing and balance from the very first session. ”
