News » Three Eir Ventures Portfolio Companies Published in Nature

Three Eir Ventures Portfolio Companies Published in Nature

18 Aug, 2025

We are proud to share that three of our portfolio companies, GutCRINE, Scenic Biotech, and Pretzel Therapeutics, have recently published groundbreaking research in Nature, one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world. These publications are a strong testament to the scientific credibility, innovation, and real-world impact of their work.

GutCRINE
The GutCRINE team identified two proteins produced by common gut bacteria that improve glucose control, increase energy expenditure, and reduce body fat in preclinical models. Even more exciting: these proteins are found in human blood and linked to lower BMI, marking the first time bacterial proteins have been shown to directly influence hormonal balance. GutCRINE is paving the way for a new class of drugs to combat obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases.
Read the publication: Link

Scenic Biotech
Scenic Biotech published the discovery of PLA2G15 as a modifier in lysosomal diseases. The lysosomal phospholipase PLA2G15 was identified as a key regulator of BMP levels, altered in many neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibiting PLA2G15 significantly improved the disease course in a model of Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), a devastating lysosomal storage disorder also known as “juvenile Alzheimer’s.” Scenic is advancing preclinical studies of a small-molecule PLA2G15 inhibitor for NPC, Batten Disease, and FTLD.
Read the full article: Link

Pretzel Therapeutics
Pretzel’s discovery of small-molecule activators of mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (POLG) was featured in Nature Chemical Biology under the research highlight “Restoring cellular energy.” This represents a potential first-in-class approach for treating diseases driven by low mtDNA levels, including Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndromes (MDDS). Pretzel is currently conducting a Phase 1 study with their lead POLG activator, PX578.
Read the publication: Link