UiB researchers are behind a new discovery that tells us how associated neurodegenerative diseases might develop.
University of BergenDec 23 2024 UiB researchers are behind a new discovery that tells us how associated neurodegenerative diseases might develop.
The fascinating thing about NAD is that the molecule is essential to life, as it plays critical roles in all cellular processes. Therefore, dysregulated NAD levels are involved in aging processes as well as many pathologies ranging from cancer to diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. And the reason for this is that it holds a key position in both energy metabolism and the regulation of vital functions.
"Interestingly, during aging, our DNA may accumulate damage which, in turn, will increase the demand for NAD molecules. Indeed, we see that cellular NAD levels decrease as we age, and it is assumed that increased DNA repair activity is one of the main reasons for this decline" explains Ziegler. To answer these questions, Ziegler and his team developed models to study how cells react to reduced NAD levels as they occur during aging.
Employing gene-technological methods such as CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing they were able to establish the molecular mechanisms of how mitochondria counteract cellular NAD decline."The problem, however, arises when the mitochondria or their NAD store are affected or tapped over extended periods of time. This can have fatal consequences since the cells may no longer have sufficient NAD "battery capacity" to drive vital, energy-dependent processes", Professor Ziegler adds.
Indeed, initial clinical trials in Norway and internationally using therapeutic supplementation approaches aiming to increase NAD levels have provided encouraging results.
Adenine Biomedicine Cancer Cell Diabetes DNA Food Gene Metabolism Mitochondria Molecule Neurodegenerative Diseases Research
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