CD 38
As we age, the rise in CD38 expression, a multifunctional protein, accelerates NAD+ depletion, triggering inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, ultimately contributing to the aging process and age-related decline.
CD38 is a novel multifunctional protein that is not only an antigen but also a multi-faceted ecto-enzyme that metabolizes NAD+. As we age, our NAD+ drops and the expression of CD38 increases. This causes the NAD+ in our body to deplete even further as CD38 metabolizes the already decreasing supply on NAD+ in our body. As CD38 is highly expressed in inflammatory cells, it is possible that the low-grade inflammation occurring during aging leads to an increased in the expression of CD38 in inflammatory cells and the accumulation of CD38 positive inflammatory cells in the tissue. Cellular senescence further causes the accumulation of CD38 and causes us to succumb to aging and age-related decline when our CD38 level goes up and negatively affects the NAD levels and mitochondrial dysfunction in our body.