Sirtuin Modulators: Targets for Metabolic Diseases and Beyond

Over the past ten years, sirtuins have emerged as an important class of drug targets. These enzymes play an important role in gene activation and silencing in all organisms from prokaryotes to humans. There is evidence that sirtuin modulation can be beneficial for a wide variety of diseases associated with aging. Among these conditions are diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Agents that activate some sirtuins may be beneficial, while inhibitors of other sirtuins might represent treatment options. This review covers the chemical activators and inhibitors of the sirtuins that have appeared in the literature through the first half of 2008.