Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Deacetylation Assays to Unravel the Interplay between Sirtuins (SIRT2) and Specific Protein-substrates
14:32

Deacetylation Assays to Unravel the Interplay between Sirtuins (SIRT2) and Specific Protein-substrates

Published on: February 27, 2016

Sirtuin modulators

Sumit S Mahajan1, Vid Leko, Julian A Simon

  • 1Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.

Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology
|September 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Sirtuin enzymes, like Sir2, extend lifespan in simple organisms. Research now explores sirtuin activators and inhibitors for treating diverse age-related diseases, offering new therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Sirtuin proteins, including the founding Sir2 in yeast, are associated with lifespan extension in simple organisms.
  • This link has spurred research into sirtuin orthologues' roles in aging-related conditions such as neurodegeneration, type II diabetes, and cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the development of pharmacological small molecule activators and inhibitors targeting the sirtuin family of enzymes.
  • To highlight sirtuins as attractive targets for developing therapeutic agents for aging-associated diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on sirtuin research.
  • Analysis of studies investigating genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of sirtuin activity.
  • Examination of the development of small molecule modulators (activators and inhibitors) of sirtuins.

Main Results:

  • Genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of sirtuin activity shows beneficial effects across a wide range of aging-associated conditions.
  • The role of sirtuin manipulation (activation vs. inhibition) is context-dependent, varying with the specific disease and target tissue.
  • Small molecule activators and inhibitors of sirtuins have been developed.

Conclusions:

  • Sirtuin enzymes represent a promising target for pharmacological interventions in aging-related diseases.
  • Therapeutic strategies may involve either activating or inhibiting sirtuin activity, depending on the specific condition.
  • The development of small molecule modulators offers potential for novel treatments for age-associated pathologies.

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