Sirtuin-activating compounds (STAC) are chemical compounds having an effect on sirtuin

Sirtuin

Sirtuin or Sir2 proteins are a class of proteins that possess either histone deacetylase or mono-ribosyltransferase activity. Sirtuins regulate important biological pathways in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes...

s, a group of enzymes that use NAD+ to remove acetyl groups from proteins. They are caloric restriction mimetic candidates, molecules able to prevent aging-related diseases like Alzheimer's , diabetes, and obesity.

Context

Leonard P. Guarente

Leonard P. Guarente

Leonard P. Guarente is an American biologist best known for his research on life span extension in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. He is currently at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is Novartis Professor of Biology....

 is recognized as the leading proponent of the hypothesis that caloric restriction slows aging by activation of Sirtuins.

STACs have been discovered by Konrad Howitz of Biomol Inc and biologist David Sinclair

David Sinclair (biologist)

David A. Sinclair PhD is a biologist best known for his research on the biology of lifespan extension and driving research towards treating diseases of ageing.-Current position:...

. In September 2003, Howitz and Sinclair et al. published a highly cited paper reporting that polyphenol

Polyphenol

Polyphenols are a structural class of natural, synthetic, and semisynthetic organic chemicals characterized by the presence of large multiples of phenol structural units...

s such as resveratrol

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol, and a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi....

 activate human SIRT1 and extend the lifespan of budding yeast (Howitz et al., Nature, 2003). Other examples of such products are butein

Butein

Butein is a chalconoid. It can be found in Toxicodendron vernicifluum . It has antioxidative, aldose reductase and advanced glycation endproducts inhibitory effects. It is also a sirtuin-activating compound, a chemical compound having an effect on sirtuins, a group of enzymes that use NAD+ to...

, piceatannol

Piceatannol

Piceatannol is a stilbenoid, a type of phenolic compound. It is a metabolite of resveratrol found in red wine.Astringin is a piceatannol glucoside.-Health effects:...

, isoliquiritigenin

Isoliquiritigenin

Isoliquiritigenin is a licorice chalconoid, a type of natural phenols. It is currently under experimentation phase testing for use as a cancer treatment as well as an aide for cocaine addiction...

, fisetin

Fisetin

Fisetin is a flavonol, a structurally distinct chemical substance that belongs to the flavonoid group of polyphenols. It can be found in many plants, where it serves as a colouring agent...

, and quercetin

Quercetin

Quercetin , a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.-Occurrence:...

.

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA that is developing therapies for type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. Founded in 2004 by a Harvard University biologist, Drs. David Sinclair, and venture capitalist Christoph Westphal, the company went public in...

, Sinclair's company, is currently developing drugs of this class like SRT1720

SRT1720

SRT1720 is a drug developed by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals intended as a small-molecule activator of the sirtuin subtype SIRT1. It has similar activity in the body to the known SIRT1 activator resveratrol, but is 1000x more potent...

.

External links

• http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/8234/8234aging.html
• Sirtris Pharmaceuticals' US patent for STAC
• Patent title: Novel Sirtuin Activating Compounds and Methods for Making the Same