The role of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) in anti-aging, longevity, and its potential for treating chronic conditions

Abstract

Biosynthesis and regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) has recently gained a lot of attention. A systemic decline in NAD⁺ across many tissues is associated with all the hallmarks of aging. NAD⁺ can affect a variety of cellular processes, including metabolic pathways, DNA repair, and immune cell activity, both directly and indirectly. These cellular processes play a vital role in maintaining homeostasis, but as people get older, their tissue and cellular NAD⁺ levels decrease, and this drop in NAD⁺ levels has been connected to a number of age-related disorders. By restoring NAD⁺ levels, several of these age-related disorders can be delayed or even reversed. Some of the new studies conducted in mice and humans have targeted the NAD⁺ metabolism with NAD⁺ intermediates. Of these, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) has been shown to offer great therapeutic potential with promising results in age-related chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, cognitive impairment, and many others. Further, human interventions are required to study the long-term effects of supplementing NMN with varying doses. The paper focuses on reviewing the importance of NAD⁺ on human aging and survival, biosynthesis of NAD⁺ from its precursors, key clinical trial findings, and the role of NMN on various health conditions.

Keywords: Age-related disorders; Anti-aging; NAD+; NMN; Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; Nicotinamide mononucleotide; Therapeutic potential.