Boosting NAD+ with a small molecule that activates NAMPT

摘要

Pharmacological strategies that boost intracellular NADsup+/sup are highly?coveted for their therapeutic potential. One approach is activation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) to increase production of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the predominant NADsup+/sup precursor in mammalian cells. A high-throughput screen for NAMPT activators and hit-to-lead campaign yielded SBI-797812, a compound that is structurally similar to active-site directed NAMPT inhibitors and blocks binding of these inhibitors to NAMPT. SBI-797812 shifts the NAMPT reaction equilibrium towards NMN formation, increases NAMPT affinity for ATP, stabilizes phosphorylated NAMPT at His247, promotes consumption of the pyrophosphate by-product, and blunts feedback inhibition by NADsup+/sup. These effects of SBI-797812 turn NAMPT into a "super catalyst" that more efficiently generates NMN. Treatment of cultured cells with SBI-797812 increases intracellular NMN and NADsup+/sup. Dosing of mice with SBI-797812 elevates liver NADsup+/sup. Small molecule NAMPT activators such as SBI-797812 are a pioneering approach to raise intracellular NADsup+/sup and realize its associated salutary effects.