ER-100 dosage and evidence
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
The first test in people of partial cell reprogramming. Life Biosciences gave the first patient ER-100 in June 2026. It delivers three genes to cells at the back of the eye, to wind back their age in glaucoma and optic nerve damage.
Evidence grade for ER-100: Preliminary. The rule: studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. The sum on this page: 2 human studies where nobody was given it. A grade counts how much has been done to people, not whether it works.
- People given it
- 0
- Human studies
- 0
- Found nothing
- 0
Dose
No human dose established
No published study on this page has given this compound to people and reported a result.
2 human studies where nobody was given it
1 effects reported, 1 unwanted, by people using it, not a trial
In plain English
In plain English, from Aaron
This is how I would explain it to a friend. The evidence, with the numbers, is further down the page.
ER-100 is a gene therapy from Life Biosciences. It puts three genes into nerve cells at the back of the eye. An antibiotic pill switches them on. The goal is to make old cells act young again. It is the first test of this idea in people.
What people take it for
- Restoring sight in glaucoma.
- Winding back the age of cells.
What studies in people showed
No results in people yet. The first patient got it in June 2026. The study is in glaucoma and a form of sudden optic nerve damage. In mice, the same three genes restored sight in old mice and after optic nerve injury.
What people report
Reports, not study results
The good
- We have not collected user reports on this one yet.
The bad
- No safety or sight results have been released yet.
Where these come from: Everything here is from the study record, the company release and the mouse study on this page. There are no user reports.
My bottom line
Exciting science. Zero human results. Anyone selling you reprogramming today is selling a mouse study.
An opinion, not a finding. I am a coach, not a doctor.
What it has been measured to do
Nothing indexed yet
The 3 citations on this page do not report a result for any of the 36 goals indexed here. Most of what sits here is something else: a listing of a planned study, a study of how the body handles the drug, a safety report or a government record. None of those tests whether it works.
Show full evidence
What is ER-100?
The first test in people of partial cell reprogramming. Life Biosciences gave the first patient ER-100 in June 2026. It delivers three genes to cells at the back of the eye, to wind back their age in glaucoma and optic nerve damage.
ER-100 is a gene therapy. It delivers three genes, OCT4, SOX2 and KLF4, to nerve cells at the back of the eye. A course of the antibiotic doxycycline switches them on. The goal is to reset the cells' biological age without changing what kind of cell they are. The FDA cleared the study in January 2026. The early study, in glaucoma and a form of sudden optic nerve damage, gave its first dose in June. No results have been reported. In mice, the same three genes restored sight in old mice and after optic nerve injury. It is the first test in people of an approach that companies like Altos and NewLimit are also chasing.
How does ER-100 work?
It turns on three reprogramming genes, called OSK, for a short time. The aim is to bring back younger gene patterns in old cells.
The evidence, in charts
Fig. 1a · how many people
2studies in people cited, but none says how many people took part
number of people not stated
We do not draw a total, because none of the studies in people on this page gives one. Read the sources below for what each study measured.
We read the number of people from the source lines on this page. Where a line gives no number, we count nothing for it. We do not guess.
Fig. 1b · evidence mix
2 of 3 sources here are studies in people. The rest is not.
- Study in people · done in people267%
- Animal study · done in animals133%
Counted from the list of sources on this page. It counts only what we cite, so there may be more studies out there. A review counts once, however many studies it sums up.
Fig. 2 · evidence over time
Sources here come from just two years, 2020 and 2026.
Too few different years on this page to draw a timeline.
Fig. 3 · legal status at a glance
US
Not approved
UK
Not approved
AU
Not approved
CA
Not approved
Not approved in any of the four countries shown. This is what the law says, not a verdict on the science. See Legal status below for the full text and any notes.
Fig. 4 · how much does what
Nobody has tested different amounts in people
This chart would show how the effect changes as the amount goes up. For this compound, nobody has measured that in people. So we leave it empty. We will not borrow an animal chart and pretend it works the same in people.
Fig. 5 · what the molecule is
- Kind of compound
- Biologic
- Molecule weight
- Not applicable: a gene therapy delivering OSK transcription factors, not a single molecule
- Half-life
- Stated in words, not a numbersee the exact wording below
- Chain length
- None on file
Half-life as stated on file: Single injection; expression controlled by doxycycline course
No amino acid sequence is on file for ER-100, so none is drawn rather than guessed from a name.
The studies we cite
- Study in people2026ER-100 Phase 1 in optic neuropathies
This is the first time cell reprogramming has been tried in a person, and no results exist. The trial delivers three genes to cells at the back of the eye, switched on by a course of antibiotic tablets, aiming to wind back the cells' biological age. It is an early study in people with glaucoma and a form of sudden optic nerve damage. Being first is not evidence of working. Nothing has been reported.
First-in-human partial reprogramming trial.
- Study in people2026Life Biosciences announces first patient dosed with ER-100
This is a start date, not a finding. Life Biosciences said the first participant received ER-100 in June 2026, after the FDA cleared the study in January. No safety results and no vision results have been released. Everything claimed for partial reprogramming so far comes from mice.
Dosing began June 2026.
- Animal study2020Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision
In mice: turning on the three genes restored sight in old mice, and after optic nerve injury.
OSK expression restored vision in aged mice and after optic nerve injury.
Common questions
Has ER-100 been tested in people?
Not in a completed trial cited here. 2 human studies where nobody was given it. The first test in people of partial cell reprogramming. Life Biosciences gave the first patient ER-100 in June 2026. It delivers three genes to cells at the back of the eye, to wind back their age in glaucoma and optic nerve damage.
What is the ER-100 dosage?
No human dose established. No published study on this page has given this compound to people and reported a result. 2 human studies where nobody was given it
Is ER-100 FDA-approved?
Investigational; in early safety studies
Is this the same as making stem cells?
No. Full reprogramming uses four genes and turns cells into stem cells. Partial reprogramming uses three, for a short time, so cells become younger in their gene patterns but keep their identity.
Latest reading on ER-100
Blog posts about ER-100, newest first.