Nicotinamide Riboside Ameliorates Inflammation and Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

This study investigated how NAD+ metabolism affects rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether NAD+ boosters could improve disease outcomes. Researchers analyzed blood samples from 253 participants, including RA patients and healthy individuals, and found that people with RA had significantly lower NAD+ levels and altered activity in NAD+-related enzymes such as sirtuins, PARPs, CD38, and NAMPT. Low NAD+ was linked to higher inflammation and more severe disease activity. When patients received anti-TNF therapy, NAD+ levels rose in parallel with clinical improvement. In lab experiments, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide increased NAD+ in immune cells from RA patients and reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death. These findings show that NAD+ depletion contributes to inflammation in RA and that boosting NAD+ with safe compounds like NR could complement current treatments and help control inflammation and joint damage in RA patients.

Journal

Arthritis & Rheumatology