Sirtuins in the pathogenetic therapy of neurodegenerative diseases

The progressive decline in the physiological functions during aging leads to various diseases that place a heavy burden on patients, their families and the society as a whole. Due to the increasing average life expectancy, the problems of prevention and treatment of age-related diseases are becoming more and more relevant. As a part of the research on the regulation of the aging program, considerable attention has been focused on a small family of NAD+-dependent deacetylases and deacylases called sirtuins. These proteins are involved in the regulation of numerous intracellular processes, and disruption of their functions plays an important role in the development of various diseases, such as metabolic disorders, pathologies of the cardiovascular system and other organs, musculoskeletal diseases, and neurodegeneration. It is interesting to note that the activity of sirtuins can be modulated to some extent under the influence of pharmacological agents, which makes them promising targets for the prevention and therapy of age-related diseases. The aim of the current review is to summarize the effects of sirtuins on the development and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, taking into account the reported clinical trials on the pharmacologic agents affecting the sirtuins’ activity.