As like mice all the mammals deteriorates its regenerative capacity of tissues and organs like muscles, heart, liver, kidney as they become old in age. As results the ability to repair them following an injury is also affected. This leads to many disorders by typical aging. In recent studies, the researchers wanted to explain how the regeneration process diminishes with age. The “powerhouses” of cell called mitochondria lose its capacity over time and prevent cells from regenerating as they once did. The role of mitochondria in metabolism has already been known, but the scientists were able to demonstrate for the first time that healthy, functioning mitochondria were important for stem cell function. In younger bodies, the stem cells regenerate damaged organs by producing new cells. From the latest studies, we got that fatigue in stem cells was one of the main cause for poor regeneration in tissues and organs.
Scientists said that they have found evidence that a vitamin can delay the aging process of internal organs in mice; it could be potential to treat degenerative diseases in humans, the vitamin called Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) was given to mice, and compared with another normal mice (without NR). According to the results, the mice with NR are better able to regenerate its organs and also lived longer life. Nicotinamide Riboside is close to the substance Vitamin B3 is a precursor of molecule that plays key role in the mitochondrial activity (i.e NAD+). NR vitamin is found in milk and its products, also found in beer, but it is very difficult to measure and quantify the amount and type of nutrients present in it. In fact, till now people exactly don’t know which food item is rich with NR. At present Nicotinamide Riboside is available in the form of dietary supplements in the market, NR plays great role in the field of regenerative medicine.
Since, we are not introducing any foreign substances into the body rather restoring the body ability to rebuild itself with a product that can be taken as a form of food. After the use of NR, no negative side effects have noticed. Still, the researchers want to take caution using NR because it appears to have the capacity to boost the function of all cells, meaning including pathological ones. As such, they suggest further studies to strike a balance between harnessing the benefits of NR and managing its potential side effects.