eNAMPT as an Approach to Slowing Aging via Increased NAD+ Levels

Raising the amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) present in cells improves mitochondrial function in old tissues in which naturally maintained NAD+ levels have declined with aging. Mitochondrial function is important in cellular health, but falters with age for reasons that are complex, multifaceted, and poorly understood. Declining quality control mechanisms may be a large part of it, but even that is a many-layered set of changes, a fair way removed from the root cause molecular damage of aging. The NAD+ enhancement strategy, while not fixing the underlying causes of the issue, appears capable of modestly slowing aging in animal studies. A number of approaches and supplements can allegedly achieve this goal; the data to hand suggests that they vary widely in effectiveness, but there is at least human trial data for nicotinamide riboside. An enzyme called eNAMPT is known to orchestrate a key step in the process cells use to make energy. With age, the body's cells become less and less efficient at producing this fuel - called NAD - which is required to keep the body healthy. Researchers have shown that supplementing eNAMPT in older mice with that of younger mice appears to be one route to boosting NAD fuel production and keeping aging at bay. Unlike other studies focused on transfusing whole blood from young mice to old mice, the researchers increased levels of a single blood component, eNAMPT, and showed its far-reaching effects, including improved ins...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs