Internet Entrepreneur Jason Hope Pledges Half a Million Dollars to SENS Foundation

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The global scientific community is increasingly recognizing the role of rejuvenation biotechnologies in addressing age-related disease. This week, Arizona-based businessman Jason Hope announced a $500,000 donation to SENS Foundation, a California-based non-profit organization that works to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies which comprehensively address age-related disease.  

"I have had great interest in the SENS Foundation and Dr. Aubrey de Grey's work for some time now.  I believe their work is essential to the advancement of human medicine and their approach to the overall problem of human aging and its associated diseases (Alzheimer's, Atherosclerosis, Diabetes, etc.) is the only way to go.  Their work and the work of others that they support will drive the complete redefinition and reshaping of the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries as we know them today.  The advancement of rejuvenation biotechnologies is not only extremely important, but it is the future. I am honored to support the SENS Foundation in its efforts, and hope my support helps drive faster results for all of humanity," said Jason Hope.

The donation was announced by SENS Foundation CEO, Mike Kope, at Tuesday's 'Breakthrough Philanthropy' event hosted by the Thiel Foundation, in the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

"We need to create an entirely new biotech industry. That's why we created SENS Foundation: to be a credible catalyst for change; to be a public research and outreach organization devoted to the creation of a new field- rejuvenation biotechnology.  To that end, we are proud that our projects are capturing the imaginations of top tier collaborators in biotech and regenerative medicine.  Jason Hope's donation is a major contribution, enabling us to build on our existing collaborations in 2011, and accelerating our progress in the fight against age-related disease," said Mike Kope

"I enjoyed hearing a lot of great presentations at the Breakthrough Philanthropy event," said Thiel Foundation chairman Peter Thiel. "But for me, the highlight of the whole evening was hearing about Jason's bold commitment to defeating aging."

SENS Foundation CSO, Aubrey de Grey, described the use to which Hope's donation will be put:

"Arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arteries - is the main cause of increased blood pressure (hypertension) in the elderly, which in turn exacerbates major aspects of aging such as diabetes. It is caused largely by the unwanted accumulation of molecular bonds between the proteins that hold the cells of the artery in place - the extracellular matrix. The same process causes long-sightedness (presbyopia) and contributes to skin aging. I am delighted that Jason's donation will fund our work on the pharmacological breaking of these unwanted molecular bonds, and the restoration of elasticity to the body's extracellular matrix."

To view Mike Kope's announcement of Jason Hope's donation at Tuesday's 'Breakthrough Philanthropy' event and to learn more about SENS Foundation visit: http://sens.org/node/1858

About Jason Hope

Jason Hope is an entrepreneur, based in Scottsdale, AZ, with a passion for philanthropy focusing on education, disease cure, scientific research and biotechnology.  An Arizona native, Hope is a strong supporter of local educational programs that encourage learning inside and out of the classroom as well as those organizations that have a significant impact on disease prevention, control and cures.  Hope has worked with the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Desert Mountain States Chapter, The Tony Hawk Foundation, The Andre Agassi Foundation, True Colors Fund, The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, Family Health International, Worldwide Orphans Foundation, T Gen Foundation, Teach for America Phoenix, International Foundation for Education and Self Help and the Arizona Science Center, where he is a member of the Director's Circle.

About SENS Foundation : www.sens.org

SENS Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2009 to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies which comprehensively address age-related disease.  Our focus is SENS, a framework for repairing the damage which builds up in the body as a result of normal metabolism, before that damage leads to the development of deadly pathologies.

SOURCE SENS Foundation