5-Amino-1MQ Key Research Facts Chemical name: 5-Amino-1-Methylquinolinium (also abbreviated as 5A-1MQ or 5MQ) Target enzyme: Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase (NNMT) Mechanism: Competitive inhibition of NNMT reduces 1-MNA production, preserves nicotinamide for NAD+ synthesis and SAM for epigenetic methylation Selectivity: High selectivity for NNMT does not inhibit related SAM-dependent methyltransferases or NAD+ salvage pathway enzymes Membrane permeability: High passive and active transport permeability confirmed in PAMPA and Caco-2 cell assays NNMT expression: Upregulated in obese adipose tissue, multiple cancer types, and aged skeletal muscle tissue contexts of primary research interest Downstream targets: NAD+ availability, SIRT1/SIRT3 activity, SAM-dependent epigenetic methylation, lipogenesis, energy expenditure Pre-clinical models: Diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell models, aged mouse skeletal muscle models, HeLa cancer cell lines In vitro cell viability: No impact on cell viability at 10 M concentration in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in published toxicity profiling What Does 5-Amino-1MQ Do in Research
large-scale randomised controlled trials in humans are lacking
The disease is more common in older adults, with the majority of cases diagnosed in people over the age of 60
Children are the most vulnerable members of our community
Given their non-invasive nature, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of sublingual formulations, they may represent a promising approach for long-term B12 management, particularly in patients with impaired absorption or in resource-limited settings
