January 24, 2024
Keio University School of Medicine
A research group from the Keio University School of Medicine, including former Professor Hiroshi Ito of the Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolism (currently Project Professor at the Center for Preventive Medicine and Professor Emeritus at Keio University), Professor Kaori Hayashi, Senior Lecturer Shintaro Yamaguchi, Professor Kazuo Tsubota of the Department of Ophthalmology (at the time of the study; currently Professor Emeritus at Keio University), Professor Masato Yasui of the Department of Pharmacology, and Professor Hideyuki Okano of the Department of Physiology, has revealed that Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a substance attracting attention as an anti-aging candidate, can be safely administered orally to healthy humans over a long period and may exhibit effects that improve glucose metabolism.
Previous animal studies have shown that NMN administration increases Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) levels in various organs, activating sirtuins (longevity genes) and thereby suppressing age-related diseases. In 2019, the same research group was the first in the world to report that a single oral dose of NMN is safe for humans and is metabolized in the body in a dose-dependent manner.
In this latest study, the research group conducted a clinical trial starting in 2019 on 14 healthy adult Japanese men to investigate the safety of long-term NMN administration. They confirmed that in healthy humans, NMN: (1) can be safely administered over a long period, (2) increases the body's NAD+ levels in proportion to the duration of administration, and (3) may improve glucose metabolism in individuals with mild glucose intolerance.
This research is expected to contribute to the development of preventive strategies for age-related diseases in Japan, a country facing a super-aged society. These findings were published in theEndocrine Journalon January 6, 2024.
For the full press release, please see below.