Mitochondria and Antiaging Medicine: NAD+ Metabolic Intermediates and Antiaging

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) was discovered in 1906 by British biochemist Dr. Arthur Harden and has long been known as a coenzyme that plays an important role in redox reactions. In 2000, the NAD + -dependent deacetylase activity of the aging and lifespan control factor sirtuin was discovered by Imai and Guarente at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, leading to a dramatic development in NAD+ biology research. As a result, it is suggested that a decrease in NAD+ levels contributes to the molecular mechanisms of aging through a decrease in sirtuin activity, and also plays a part in the pathogenesis of various aging-related diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, with about 115 years of history, NAD+ biology research is entering a second golden (renaissance) period centered on two NAD+ metabolic intermediates, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and nicotinamide riboside (NR), and it is no exaggeration to say that it is forming the mainstream of aging and lifespan research and antiaging medicine [1, 2].