Interesting findings from the NR Study carried out by the MitoCAMB Research group were published last week in Genome Medicine on ‘Effects of nicotinamide riboside in mitochondrial DNA disease’.
This small pilot study investigated whether nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3, could improve mitochondrial function in people with mitochondrial disease. NR was found to be safe and well tolerated, and while there were only limited improvements in clinical measures, participants with large-scale mitochondrial DNA deletions showed promising biological signs of improved mitochondrial health, including extra healthy mitochondria and better muscle function markers.
Although the study involved only eight participants and lasted just four weeks, the findings suggest that NR is biologically active and may have potential benefits for some forms of mitochondrial disease. Larger, longer-term clinical trials are needed to determine whether these biological improvements translate into meaningful benefits for patients.
Full paper can be found here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13073-026-01764-1