Luis Rajman, Karolina Chwalek, David A. Sinclair, Cell Metabolism, Volume 27, Issue 3, 6 March 2018, Pages 529-547, ISSN 1550-4131, doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.011.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), the cell’s hydrogen carrier for redox enzymes, is well known for its role in redox reactions. More recently, it has emerged as a signaling molecule. By modulating NAD+-sensing enzymes, NAD+ controls hundreds of key processes from energy metabolism to cell survival, rising and falling depending on food intake, exercise, and the time of day. NAD+ levels steadily decline with age, resulting in altered metabolism and increased disease susceptibility. Restoration of NAD+ levels in old or diseased animals can promote health and extend lifespan, prompting a search for safe and efficacious NAD-boosting molecules that hold the promise of increasing the body’s resilience, not just to one disease, but to many, thereby extending healthy human lifespan.
Therapeutic Potential of NAD-Boosting Molecules: The In Vivo Evidence