Suggesting that Lower Levels of NAD+ Increase Cellular Senescence in the Retina

Present investigations and attempts to influence nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism in aging might be viewed as the direct descendant of the heavily hyped sirtuin research of a nearly decade ago. We can check the boxes for (a) mechanisms linked to mitochondrial activity, (b) supplements claimed to adjust age-related changes in those mechanisms, and (c) many of the same people in the scientific community being involved. At the end of the day this may well arrive at the same destination as that sirtuin development, which is to say nothing of any practical use to improve human longevity, but at least the outcome of an incrementally greater understanding of this narrow section of mammalian cellular metabolism. The data for benefits to result from some of the presently available supplements that might increase NAD+ levels is admittedly considerably better than was the case for tinkering with sirtuins, but that is nonetheless a low bar to pass. Even so, some of these approaches clearly produce the same old story of unreliably, tiny effects that tend to vanish given more care and more rigorous studies. The best outcome we could hope for in the near future is a modestly useful exercise mimetic that can help the unfit to evade some fraction of the consequences of their lack of fitness. Rigorous data has yet to arrive, however, and it could all still come to nothing much yet. That best outcome is still not rejuvenation in any meaningful sense. It is tinkering wi...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs