# HTS to identify compounds that increase NAD+ levels in neurons and muscle cells

> **NIH NIH R61** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $575,548

## Abstract

Project Summary
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a redox cofactor required by enzymes essential to energy
production and numerous other cellular processes. NAD also serves as a co-substrate for several classes
of signaling enzymes, each of which cleaves the molecule to release nicotinamide. Cellular NAD is derived
from dietary tryptophan (de novo synthesis), nicotinic acid (the Preiss-Handler pathway) or recycled from
nicotinamide via the NAD salvage pathway. NAD deficiency can be triggered by a variety of cellular
stresses, including DNA damage, and is thought to contribute to pathophysiology in a number of metabolic,
neurological, and muscular diseases: conversely, increasing NAD+ has been suggested as a promising
therapeutic strategy. Here, researchers will collaborate to develop and utilize a cellular High Throughput
Screening (HTS) assay to discover and validate small molecules that increase intracellular NAD+ levels.
These studies should identify novel small molecules with great therapeutic potential for a myriad of
neurological and muscular including brain ischemia, Wallerian nerve degeneration, misfolded prion
protein toxicity, Alzheimer's disease (AD), mitochondrial myopathy (MM), age related sarcopenia and
Duchenne's muscular dystrophy(DMD).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9955638
- **Project number:** 1R61NS111375-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph A. Baur
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $575,548
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-15 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9955638

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9955638, HTS to identify compounds that increase NAD+ levels in neurons and muscle cells (1R61NS111375-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9955638. Licensed CC0.

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