AUTHOR=Min Sang-won , Sohn Peter D., Cho Seo-hyun , Swanson Raymond A., Gan Li 

TITLE=Sirtuins in neurodegenerative diseases: an update on potential mechanisms

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2013

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2013.00053

DOI=10.3389/fnagi.2013.00053

ISSN=1663-4365

ABSTRACT=<p>Silent <underline>i</underline>nformation <underline>r</underline>egulator <underline>2</underline> prote<underline>ins</underline> (<underline>sirt</underline>uin<underline>s</underline> or SIRTs) are a group of deacetylases (or deacylases) whose activities are dependent on and regulated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD<sup>+</sup>). Compelling evidence supports that sirtuins play major roles in many aspects of physiology, especially in pathways related to aging – the predominant and unifying risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of sirtuins in neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on protein homeostasis, neural plasticity, mitochondrial function, and sustained chronic inflammation. We will also examine the potential and challenges of targeting sirtuin pathways to block these pathogenic pathways.</p>