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ChromaDex Announces New Study Results Highlighting Promising Anti-Viral Effects of Niagen® in Coronavirus Cell Model
Dr. Charles Brenner and a team of scientists from three US universities find that Niagen® decreases Coronavirus replication in animal cells LOS
About this update from Niagen Bioscience, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\nDr. Charles Brenner and a team of scientists from three US universities find that Niagen® decreases Coronavirus replication in animal cells\n\n LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nChromaDex Corp. (NASDAQ:CDXC) today announced the latest preclinical findings indicating Niagen® (patented nicotinamide riboside) inhibits replication of a form of Coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19 infection, in mouse cells.\n\n\nThe preclinical study results were published July 8 on scientific publishing website bioRxiv.org. The research conducted jointly at the University of Iowa, Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of Kansas previously demonstrated in a preclinical cell model that levels of the coenzyme NAD+ were depleted up to 80% in Coronavirus-infected cells. Consistent with those findings, the new study showed that the loss of NAD+ appeared to disrupt genes involved with cell defense which can impair cells’ innate immune response.\n\n\nThe researchers hypothesized that if NAD+ depletion worsened cells’ defenses and aided viral replication, raising NAD+ levels with nicotinamide riboside (NR, or Niagen®) may have an anti-viral effect. These latest results confirmed their hypothesis by demonstrating that cell lines infected with a type of Coronavirus had decreased viral replication when supplemented with NR. The collaborative research team also found that the activity of antiviral PARP enzymes was upregulated by boosting NAD pharmacologically.\n\n\n“Our in vitro data now establish the potential of NR and other NAD-boosting technologies to block infection. The next steps are animal and human trials against SARS-CoV-2,” reports Dr. Charles Brenner, a co-author of the study and ChromaDex Chief Scientific Advisor. “Infected cells activate a set of genes to use NAD for defense, while the virus has a specific gene to try to defeat this. These infected cells also have a gene expression program that provides insight into how we may be able to strengthen innate immunity.”\n\n\n“Dr. Brenner and his colleagues’ preclinical research provides new insight into the critical role NR may play in replenishing the NAD that is depleted under viral infection,” says ChromaDex CEO Rob Fried. “We will support continued research that will examine our ingredient’s potential to impact the response to viral infection.”\n\n\nThe team of investigators...