The Clinic Effect is a new series, where we highlight current and past IP Innovation Clinic clients from our 15-year history of helping advance IP sophistication and support in Ontario and across Canada.
When you think of healthy aging, what comes to mind? For many, it鈥檚 diet and exercise or managing chronic diseases as they arise. But, what if we could intervene much earlier to slow or even reverse the biological drivers of aging itself? That is exactly what Dr. Hyekyoung (Cindy) Sung, Research Associate and Project Manager in Dr. Gary Sweeney鈥檚 lab (Sweeney Lab) at 91亚色, is working to achieve.
Dr. Sung is utilizing her background in pharmacy, molecular biology, and translational medicine, amounting to over a decade of experience in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, to develop next-generation biologic therapies that address the root causes of aging-related disease. She is a CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Awardee, focused on extracellular vesicles (EVs), aging, and cardiometabolic disease.
The Innovation
Dr. Sung is leading a translational research initiative, 鈥淗arnessing adiponectin and extracellular vesicle biology to enhance healthspan.鈥 She and the Sweeney Lab team are working to develop adiponectin-enriched extracellular vesicles, a novel therapeutic platform designed to target age-related metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction. Simply put, a treatment that uses the body鈥檚 own messaging system to reduce inflammation and support healthy aging.
In parallel, the team is studying extracellular vesicles (EVs), which act like tiny messengers between cells, to help identify disease risk early and guide more personalized treatment decisions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e addressing the urgent global health challenge of aging-related cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), including type 2 diabetes and heart failure. Despite treatment advances, most current therapies manage symptoms rather than the root causes such as chronic inflammation, disrupted inter-organ communication, and cellular senescence.鈥
- Dr. Cindy Sung
The Problem
As populations age, cardiometabolic diseases (CMB) such as type 2 diabetes and heart failure are becoming increasingly prevalent1, placing growing strain on individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. These conditions are complex and progressive, driven by long-term biological changes that accumulate over time.
While existing treatments have improved disease management, they largely intervene after significant damage has already occurred. Many therapies are designed to control clinical outcomes rather than address the deeper biological processes that drive decline with age.2 As a result, patients often experience ongoing disease progression despite treatment. Dr. Sung鈥檚 work addresses this gap by focusing on the root biological changes of aging, instead of reacting to disease after it develops.
The Impact
The implications of this are wide-reaching, particularly for aging societies. By delaying disease onset and preserving physiological function, Dr. Sung鈥檚 work has the potential to reduce healthcare burdens while improving quality of life. Preventative and restorative approaches like Adipo-EVs could fundamentally change how care is delivered, shifting systems from reactive treatment to proactive health preservation.
鈥淏y delaying disease onset and preserving physiological function, our innovation can help reduce the immense healthcare burden of chronic diseases, improve quality of life, and enable older adults to live independently for longer.鈥
- Dr. Cindy Sung
Who This Helps
This innovation is designed to support:
- Older adults at risk of metabolic dysfunction
- Clinicians seeking precision therapies to delay or reverse aging-related decline
- Biopharmaceutical companies and CROs exploring next-generation biologics or delivery platforms
- Aging and longevity clinics looking for safe and scalable therapies
Together, the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of Adipo-EVs allows for a tailored and effective approach to healthy aging.
The IP
Protecting this innovation has been a critical part of its development, with strong support from 91亚色鈥檚 IP Innovation Clinic. Dr. Sung credits Joseph Turcotte, Associate Director of the IP Innovation Clinic, Suraj Shah, Associate Director of Commercialization and Strategic Partnerships, and the entire IP Innovation Clinic team for their guidance throughout the patenting process.
鈥淚 am grateful for the strong support from 91亚色, my research team, our clinical collaborators, and the IP Innovation Clinic. Together, we鈥檙e building a platform that could change how we treat aging and its associated diseases.鈥
-Dr. Cindy Sung
Next Steps
Dr. Sung and the team at Sweeney Lab are currently seeking:
- Biotech or pharma partners to scale EV production and preclinical testing
- Investors and translational research funds to support IND (Investigational New Drug) enabling studies
- Collaborators for biomarker validation and patient stratification
- Open to licensing discussions with CROs or companies interested in leveraging our EV engineering platform.
- European Society of Cardiology / Global Burden of Disease Study,听
鈥淕lobal, regional, and national burden of heart failure between 1990 and 2021 and projections to 2050,鈥 July 8, 2025.听
鈫╋笌 - 听Eroglu T., Capone F., Schiattarella G.G., 鈥淭he Evolving Landscape of Cardiometabolic Diseases,鈥澨eBioMedicine (The Lancet), September 2024.听
听 鈫╋笌