Tracking NAD+ Metabolism in Real Time Using a Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensor: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

Tracking NAD+ metabolism in living cells and animals is challenging, but FiNad sensors make it possible. These fluorescent, genetically encoded sensors can detect changes in NAD+ levels in real time across physiologically relevant concentrations. Using FiNad, researchers compared the effectiveness of different NAD+ precursors, observed how NAD+ influences macrophage function, and even visualized NAD+ declines during aging. Using FiNad, the team compared the effects of various NAD+-boosting precursors (such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)) across different organisms. They also discovered that increased NAD+ synthesis drives important changes in activated immune cells (macrophages) and that NAD+ levels decline with age, a process now directly observable in living tissues. The FiNad sensors represent a major step forward in metabolic and aging research, offering a powerful way to study NAD+ biology in real time and to identify new drugs or genes that influence NAD+ metabolism.

Journal

Developmental Cell