The NAD⁺-mitophagy axis in healthy longevity and in artificial intelligence-based clinical applications

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is an important natural molecule involved in fundamental biological processes, including the TCA cycle, OXPHOS, β-oxidation, and is a co-factor for proteins promoting healthy longevity. NAD⁺ depletion is associated with the hallmarks of ageing and may contribute to a wide range of age-related diseases including metabolic disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. One of the central pathways by which NAD⁺ promotes healthy ageing is through regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis via mitochondrial biogenesis and the clearance of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy. Here, we highlight the contribution of the NAD⁺-mitophagy axis to ageing and age-related diseases, and evaluate how boosting NAD⁺ levels may emerge as a promising therapeutic strategy to counter ageing as well as neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. The potential use of artificial intelligence to understand the roles and molecular mechanisms of the NAD⁺-mitophagy axis in ageing is discussed, including possible applications in drug target identification and validation, compound screening and lead compound discovery, biomarker development, as well as efficacy and safety assessment. Advances in our understanding of the molecular and cellular roles of NAD⁺ in mitophagy will lead to novel approaches for facilitating healthy mitochondrial homoeostasis that may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy to counter ageing-associated pathologies and/or accelerated ageing.