EP 193: Targeting autophagy to treat neurodegeneration with Frank Gentile of Casma Therapeutics

<p><strong>Summary: </strong></p><p>This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Frank Gentile, Chief Executive Officer of Casma Therapeutics. They discuss the role of autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases, Casma’s work on therapies for Gaucher’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and the challenges and opportunities in rare disease biotech.</p><p><strong>Show Notes: </strong></p><p><strong>0:00 </strong>Intro to The Genetics Podcast</p><p><strong>00:58</strong> Welcome to Frank </p><p><strong>02:00</strong> Origin story for Casma Therapeutics and its therapeutic focus on autophagy</p><p><strong>04:51 </strong>Diseases in which autophagy is dysregulated</p><p><strong>07:46</strong> The link between <em>GBA1 </em>and Parkinson’s, and why so many neurodegenerative diseases exhibit autophagy defects</p><p><strong>12:28 </strong>Findings from Casma Therapeutics’ preclinical studies and associated mechanisms</p><p><strong>16:46 </strong>Milestones and design of Casma Therapeutics...