by Paul Arnold, Phys.org
edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan
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Generation of BmNmnat1 mutant silkworm strains via transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 editing. Credit: Insect Science (2026). DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.70191
When scientists want to study aging and how to slow it down, they often turn to microscopic worms or lab mice among other models. The former are too different from humans, while the latter are expensive and take too long to study. But there’s a new model in town that can potentially help us wind the clock back, and that is the silkworm (Bombyx mori).
A major focus of aging research is a molecule called NAD⁺ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is present in all living cells and regulates metabolism, longevity and DNA repair. As we age, our NAD⁺ levels decline, leading to impaired DNA repair and increased vulnerability to age-related diseases, among other problems. However, finding the right animal model to study this process has been challenging.
Silkworms and longevity
In a paper published in the journal Insect Science, researchers at Southwest University in Chongqing, China, wanted to determine whether silkworms could be viable models for this research. They share many genes with humans, have a short life cycle and are easy to breed. However, research on NAD⁺ aging mechanisms in silkworms is limited.
The team studied six different silkworm strains. They tracked how long they lived and measured their NAD⁺ levels. Those that lived longer had higher levels of the metabolic coenzyme. The researchers also found that BmNmnat1 gene expression (the key enzyme in NAD⁺ biosynthesis) was much higher in the long-lived strains.
When the study authors knocked out this gene, the silkworms experienced severe DNA damage and failed to develop. This suggests BmNmnat1’s role is essential for protecting cells against age-related damage.
To test whether they could slow the aging process in these insects, the study authors gave them nicotinic acid (NA) supplements (a form of vitamin B3) either by spraying it onto their mulberry leaves or by injecting it during the cocoon stage (when pupae transform into moths). They discovered that NA treatment boosted NAD⁺ levels, reduced cellular signs associated with aging and extended the lifespan of adult moths by up to 44%.
New screening tool
“Our results highlight the evolutionarily conserved role of BmNmnat1-mediated NAD⁺ metabolism in aging and establish the silkworm as a valuable invertebrate model for mechanistic studies and antiaging intervention screening,” commented the team in their paper.
Although silkworms share many genes with us, they are still invertebrates that differ significantly from humans, not least in our organ systems and immune responses. However, because the NAD⁺ pathway is similar, the silkworm could be a useful screening tool for identifying the most promising anti-aging treatments.
Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You’ll get an ad-free account as a thank-you.
More information
Qingsong Liu et al, Silkworm as a model for NAD⁺‐dependent lifespan regulation: Functional insights into BmNmnat1 and nicotinic acid, Insect Science (2026). DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.70191
Key concepts
molecular biologybutterflies and moths
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