Jaime Villegas

Biography

Bachelor in Biological Sciences and PhD in Biological Sciences from Universidad Austral de Chile. In 1997 moves to Santiago to the company Bioschile Ingeniería Genética S.A and as young investigator at Fundación Ciencia & Vida,  in order to develop studies evaluating the therapeutic antitumoral potential of a family of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs. In 2009 was appointed as assistant professor at Universidad Andrés Bello and as Senior Research in the spin-off biotechnological company Andes Biotechnology SpA. The focus of research was developing of preclinical assays evaluating the antitumoral effect of antisense, using oligonucleotide (ANDES1537) therapy targeting antisense non coding mitochondrial RNAs. In 2015, the drug was selected as active IND for FDA  for its Phase I clinical trial and it includes studies Phase Ia and Phase Ib. Phase Ia finished in 2018 and phase Ib is near to be completed this year.

At present is associated professor, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello and maintains various lines of research such as antisense therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer, breast cancer and evaluation of this therapy for hepatitis B disease. Also maintains a research evaluating the molecular mechanism of wound healing induced by  plant derived compounds.

Collaborate in several projects as the understanding of the mechanisms involved in intestinal inflammation in dogs, the role of autologous vaccines in the activation of immune system for cancer treatment, the study of the metabolic pathways affected by antisense therapy in breast cancer, in order to find novel therapeutic targets to be validate at preclinical level.

As academic, has guided Ph.D, magister and undergraduate Thesis, reviewer of scientific works of 15 journals, member of the grants evaluator health panel of FONDEF, ANID.