Nicotinamide Mononucleotide and Nicotinamide Riboside Protect Against Skin Aging: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

In human skin fibroblasts subjected to oxidative and photo-aging stress, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) markedly increased NAD+ levels, activated sirtuin and autophagy pathways, and improved mitochondrial function, helping maintain cellular homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that NMN induced a distinct gene-expression signature—particularly affecting cytokine and chemokine activity—that differed significantly from cells treated with other NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide (NAM), as well as from untreated or UV-unexposed cells. Heat map and clustering analyses confirmed that NMN, like NAD+, triggered a strong biological response, whereas NR and NAM had only minor effects, consistent with previous observations that these precursors slightly increase cellular NAD+ levels. Functionally, NMN reduced cellular senescence, enhanced cell proliferation, preserved extracellular matrix integrity, and accelerated wound healing. Overall, these findings provide strong mechanistic support for NMN’s anti-aging effects in skin cells and offer a scientific foundation for developing NMN-based topical therapeutics and cosmeceuticals.

Journal

Biomedicines