Erin Fordham
Biology in the News
March 6, 2017
The article I selected is from Scientific American, entitled Beyond Resveratrol: The Anti-Agining NAD Fad. It was written by David Stipp, a science writer who focuses on the field of gerontology, or the study of aging. Our scientific advances still have been unable to explain exactly why aging occurs, but one theory centers around mitochondria. As we age, mitochondria decay and cease to function properly. The theory is that this decay overtime can contribute to everything from the increased risk of heart disease to the neurodegeneration that leads to becoming "senile" and other neurological problems associated with aging to muscle deterioration and weakness associated with age.
Stipp writes about a chemical compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and how the reduced production of NAD associated with age may be a contributing factor to the decline of mitochondrial function. Scientists are currently working on the development of drugs that act as "boosters" for NAD by including precursor compounds necessary for the formation of NAD. The two examples discussed in this article are nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Both of these are chemical precursors to NAD and occur naturally in cells. The hope is that by increasing the amount of these precursors, cells will produce more NAD and thus better preserve mitochondrial function.
Currently, studies are being done in mice with NMN. One study referenced in this article showed an improvement in the mitochondria of muscle cells in mice after just a week of receiving NMN. Strength had not improved after the week, but it's possible that with time strength could be recovered. While these experiments are in early states and not yet ready for human trial, scientists are hopeful that this can slow the aging process and improve quality of life.
While NMN is still in testing, NR is available in drugs such as Niagen. Niagen is a medication marketed as an anti-aging drug and has been hailed by some as a "fountain of youth" drug. However, there are very mixed reviews about the results of Niagen, and it remains expensive and therefore not commonly used. Studies on humans are still underway, but early publications have reported an increase in NAD levels in those taking NR.
Furthermore, some scientists believe that these NAD boosters may be more effective when combined with resveratrol, a compound released during the production of wine. Resveratrol is thought to act as an antioxidant, combating harmful effects of excess lipids in the diet. The thought is that the combination of these two may create a synergistic effect, boosting the effects of both to prevent the degradation of mitochondria while also staving off harmful effects of excess lipid intake. Another compound being looked into is pterostilbene, due to scientists' belief that it is more bioavailable than resveratrol and thus may have greater potency in the body.
While there is still much to be discovered in this area, I found this article very interesting because of the many possibilities this research presents. I've worked in healthcare for a number of years and for a time, I worked in a nursing home and then in an intensive care unit. In both, I worked with a number of patients whose diagnoses and disease processes were complicated by the effects of aging on the body: weaker immune systems, muscle and bone loss, and neurological complications. Many patients in these situations have a poor quality of life and are dependent on others for daily tasks such as getting dressed and preparing food. If these scientific advances can decrease these comorbidities caused by aging, then the quality of life can potentially be increased for geriatric patients.
I also thought this article was interesting due to the fact that we've recently been discussing the importance of mitochondria as the "powerhouse" of the cells and our source of energy as living organisms. The theory of aging centered around mitochondria and their decay overtime shows the importance of mitochondria in the functions of both individual cells and in complex organisms. Without the ATP produced in the mitochondria, no cell can perform its function. Preventing the loss of these mitochondria may also lead to discoveries on how we can better enhance the performance of mitochondria to combat degenerative illnesses and increase the productivity of the body systems.
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