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Small molecule activators of SIRT1 as therapeutics for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
- Jill C. Milne1 na1,
- Philip D. Lambert1 na1,
- Simon Schenk2 na1,
- David P. Carney1,
- Jesse J. Smith1,
- David J. Gagne1,
- Lei Jin1,
- Olivier Boss1,
- Robert B. Perni1,
- Chi B. Vu1,
- Jean E. Bemis1,
- Roger Xie1,
- Jeremy S. Disch1,
- Pui Yee Ng1,
- Joseph J. Nunes1,
- Amy V. Lynch1,
- Hongying Yang1,
- Heidi Galonek1,
- Kristine Israelian1,
- Wendy Choy1,
- Andre Iffland1,
- Siva Lavu1,
- Oliver Medvedik1,
- David A. Sinclair3,
- Jerrold M. Olefsky2,
- Michael R. Jirousek1,
- Peter J. Elliott1 &
- …
- Christoph H. Westphal1
Naturevolume 450, pages712–716 (2007)Cite this article
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Abstract
Calorie restriction extends lifespan and produces a metabolic profile desirable for treating diseases of ageing such as type 2 diabetes1,2. SIRT1, an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, is a principal modulator of pathways downstream of calorie restriction that produce beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic SIRT1 activator, mimics the anti-ageing effects of calorie restriction in lower organisms and in mice fed a high-fat diet ameliorates insulin resistance, increases mitochondrial content, and prolongs survival10,11,12,13,14. Here we describe the identification and characterization of small molecule activators of SIRT1 that are structurally unrelated to, and 1,000-fold more potent than, resveratrol. These compounds bind to the SIRT1 enzyme–peptide substrate complex at an allosteric site amino-terminal to the catalytic domain and lower the Michaelis constant for acetylated substrates. In diet-induced obese and genetically obese mice, these compounds improve insulin sensitivity, lower plasma glucose, and increase mitochondrial capacity. In Zuckerfa/fa rats, hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp studies demonstrate that SIRT1 activators improve whole-body glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and liver. Thus, SIRT1 activation is a promising new therapeutic approach for treating diseases of ageing such as type 2 diabetes.
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Acknowledgements
We thank C. Ozbal and W. LaMarr from BioTrove, Inc. for running the mass spectrometry samples; S. Schaertl, D. Winkler, N. Fay and T. Hesterkamp for work on the SIRT1 fluorescence polarization assay development; M. Saberi, P. P. Li , M. Lu, and A. Hevener for assistance and advice with the Zuckerfa/fa studies; P. Romero, K. Normington, and M. Dipp for experimental advice and comments on the manuscript; M. Inghilterra for help in data analysis and data mining. D.A.S. is supported by an Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholarship, and grants from NIH/NIA and the Paul F. Glenn Medical Foundation. J.M.O. is supported by a University of California Discovery Biostar grant and NIH. S.S. is supported by a Mentor-Based Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Diabetes Association awarded to J.M.O.
Author information
Jill C. Milne, Philip D. Lambert and Simon Schenk: These authors contributed equally to this work.
Authors and Affiliations
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc., 790 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA , Massachusetts
Jill C. Milne, Philip D. Lambert, David P. Carney, Jesse J. Smith, David J. Gagne, Lei Jin, Olivier Boss, Robert B. Perni, Chi B. Vu, Jean E. Bemis, Roger Xie, Jeremy S. Disch, Pui Yee Ng, Joseph J. Nunes, Amy V. Lynch, Hongying Yang, Heidi Galonek, Kristine Israelian, Wendy Choy, Andre Iffland, Siva Lavu, Oliver Medvedik, Michael R. Jirousek, Peter J. Elliott & Christoph H. Westphal
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA, California
Simon Schenk & Jerrold M. Olefsky
Department of Pathology, Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA, Massachusetts
David A. Sinclair
- Jill C. Milne
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- Philip D. Lambert
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- Jesse J. Smith
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- Chi B. Vu
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- Jeremy S. Disch
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- Hongying Yang
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- Heidi Galonek
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- Kristine Israelian
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- Wendy Choy
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Correspondence toChristoph H. Westphal.
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Competing interests
All authors declare competing financial interests except for S.S. All authors except for S.S., J.M.O. and D.S. are employees of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. D.S. is a co-founder, Board member and consultant to Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. J.M.O. is a consultant to Sirtris Pharmaceuticals. Sirtris is a company whose goal is to develop drugs to treat age-related diseases.
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Milne, J., Lambert, P., Schenk, S.et al. Small molecule activators of SIRT1 as therapeutics for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.Nature450, 712–716 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06261
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