GlycanAge to Host Landmark Conference Focused on Practical Applications of Inflammaging Research

GlycanAge, the biological age-testing company that measures glycans — sugar molecules that regulate protein function — is convening leading academics and clinicians in Dubrovnik, Croatia, this June for a conference marking 25 years of inflammaging research. The company says this milestone will signal the time to move chronic-inflammation testing into routine clinical practice.

The event, co-organized with Mayo Clinic as part of the International Society for Applied Biological Sciences (ISABS) conference series, opens June 19, with Prof. Dr. Claudio Franceschi headlining the scientific program. He coined the term “inflammaging,” the theory that chronic low-grade inflammation drives biological aging and age-related disease. A clinical application day on June 28 addresses how glycan-based markers can be incorporated into routine practice.

Decades of Glycan Research

The scientific foundation behind the conference stretches back two decades. Founded as a research institute by Prof. Dr. Gordan Lauc — a glycobiologist with 35 years in the field — GlycanAge went commercial in 2020. Its laboratory accounts for the majority of global glycan analyses, backed by millions in grants and hundreds of peer-reviewed publications.

“Inflammaging is a theory that our tool measures — it is now 25 years old, and it’s time to apply it in practice,” says GlycanAge Co-Founder and CEO Nikolina Lauc, daughter of Prof. Dr. Gordan Lauc. “Our measurement is beyond what you would require for even a clinical grade.”

Catching Disease Earlier

GlycanAge measures glycans in blood, determining whether antibodies behave in a pro- or anti-inflammatory manner. Unlike standard panels that flag disease after it has taken hold, glycan patterns can shift as much as a decade before a patient develops a disorder.

“We can see certain glycan patterns change up to 10 years prior to you developing diabetes, a heart attack or stroke, and many other conditions,” says Nikolina Lauc. “It’s something that can tell you, up to a decade in advance, you’re heading towards a problem, but you’re not yet symptomatic. You can still do something from a lifestyle perspective and avoid the condition entirely.”

Expanding Global Access

Central to that clinical case is the reliability of measurement. GlycanAge operates across 64 markets through approximately 2,000 clinics and direct-to-consumer channels, and its test has a measurement error of less than 1 year, versus margins of up to 10 years cited for some epigenetic clock platforms, according to Nikolina Lauc. The company also operates a B2B laboratory in China and Mexico and plans to establish a facility in India to broaden its Asian coverage.

About GlycanAge

GlycanAge is a longevity science company specializing in glycan analysis and biological age testing. Founded in 2020 by Prof. Dr. Gordan Lauc, Nikolina Lauc, and Filip Lauc, the company has analyzed the full glycan profile of over 300,000 people and supported more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. Its test is available to consumers and through clinics in 64 markets worldwide.

Learn more about GlycanAge at glycanage.com.