Longevity & AgingNAD Controls Pancreatic Beta-Cell Life, Death, and Regeneration
This Japanese review article synthesizes decades of research from the Okamoto Laboratory at Tohoku University, showing that NAD is far more than a metabolic coenzyme in pancreatic beta-cells. CD38 uses NAD to produce cyclic ADP-ribose, which triggers calcium signaling and insulin secretion. Meanwhile, DNA damage activates PARP, which consumes NAD and causes beta-cell death. Crucially, when PARP activity is inhibited, it switches roles to act as a transcription factor, boosting expression of the regeneration factor RegI and driving beta-cell renewal. These interconnected pathways place NAD at the nexus of beta-cell function, death, and regeneration, with clear relevance to diabetes treatment strategies and the broader biology of aging.
