Note: Dr. David Sinclair is not affiliated with NOVOS. NOVOS has a diverse lineup of esteemed longevity scientists on its team, including revered scientists like Harvard Medical School and MIT professor, Dr. George Church, David Sinclair’s former MIT labmate, Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, and multiple others.
Dr. David Sinclair, professor at Harvard University, has for decades researched aging, more specifically the role of sirtuins in aging.
Sirtuins are proteins that repair DNA damage and maintain the epigenome which regulates gene activity (the epigenome determines which genes are switched on or off).
During aging, DNA repair mechanisms go down, and the epigenome becomes more dysregulated.
David Sinclair researched specific substances that can improve the activity of sirtuins, such as resveratrol, pterostilbene, nicotinamide (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). These substances could improve DNA and epigenomic stability, and mitigate aging. NMN seems to be the most promising of these.
Professor Sinclair is known for his research and perspective on aging. He believes that it may be feasible not to just slow down aging, but even to partially reverse it.
This can make sense, given that in recent years scientists have found that it’s possible not just to slow down aging, but to actually reverse the aging process. For example, through epigenetic reprogramming, scientists were able to make old mice young again (R).
David Sinclair has co-founded Iduna, a company focused on reversing aging. Iduna wants to utilize epigenetic reprogramming factors, known as Yamanaka factors, to target and potentially reverse aging in certain tissues. The company operates under Life Biosciences, an umbrella company founded by David Sinclair, which owns controlling stakes in multiple longevity themed for-profit companies.
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NMN and Aging
However, David Sinclair is also interested in small-molecules to impact aging.
One of the molecules he focuses on is nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). NMN is converted into NAD+, which is a cofactor of sirtuins and other DNA-repairing molecules.
NMN helps to maintain and repair damaged DNA and the epigenome (R). The epigenome plays a very important role in aging: the older we get, the more the epigenome gets dysregulated, which leads to the wrong expression of genes, and to many other problems in the cell.
Studies have shown impressive results of NMN, such as partial reversal of vascular aging (R,R), old mice having much more endurance again (R), and improvements in aging metabolism (R).
Another study even showed that NMN can restore the fertility in old animals (R). This is interesting, given that egg cells are very prone to aging. Egg cells have also much in common with stem cells, given they are the ultimate stem cells: they give rise to a whole new human being.
Given the beneficial effects of NMN on aging egg cells, NMN could perhaps also improve stem cell health, which studies seem to indicate (R,R).
Declining stem cell function is one of the reasons why we age. In his book, Lifespan, David Sinclair also describes case reports of elderly, post-menopausal women who started to get their periods again. Studies in mice seem to corroborate that NMN can improve fertility by reducing DNA damage and mitochondrial decline in egg cells (R).
Learn more about the anti-aging effects of NMN here.
The Daily NMN Supplement Habit of Professor Sinclair
Dr. David Sinclair wrote in his book, Lifespan, that he takes NMN on a daily basis. He adds NMN to his yogurt for breakfast. NMN is orally very bioavailable.
Sinclair takes 1,000 mg of NMN in one dose in the morning. This is a lot. 250 mg of NMN per day would also suffice. In fact, doses between 250 to 500 mg per day could be ideal.
Dr. Sinclair is a co-founder of a company called Metro Biotech, that wants to develop molecules based on NMN to treat aging and aging-related diseases.
David Sinclair believes that NMN is better than NR. Recent studies indicate that NMN may have a broader impact on health and aging than NR.
Also, NMN is one step further down the pathway that converts NR and NMN molecules in NAD+, which is the cofactor of the DNA-repairing sirtuins.
Learn more about which other anti-aging supplements David Sinclair takes here.
We wrote extensively about the difference between NMN and NR on our blog.
Note: Dr. David Sinclair is not affiliated with NOVOS.
Learn more about the anti-aging supplement NOVOS Boost, containing high-quality, high-purity NMN
