5-Amino-1MQ is a lab-made small molecule that blocks an enzyme called NNMT. Scientists have tested it in cells and in mice for effects on body fat, blood sugar and aging muscle. It has not been tested in people.
Why scientists study it
- It blocks NNMT, an enzyme that uses up SAM, the cell’s main methyl donor, and pulls nicotinamide away from making NAD+. That makes it a tool for studying how NAD+ and methylation are linked.
- Obese mice on a high-fat diet lost body fat and had better insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar without eating less. In a related study, aged mice had old muscle stem cells wake up and muscle that regrew better.
- It is part of a wider NNMT research effort that ties fat, liver and muscle metabolism together. That effort began with gene studies that first showed NNMT drives diet-induced obesity in mice.
Three studies to know
Kraus and colleagues, 2014 · Nature
This gene study lowered NNMT in the fat and liver of mice. The mice burned more energy and were protected from obesity caused by diet. It made NNMT a target for metabolic research. Read the paper
Neelakantan and colleagues, 2018 · Biochemical Pharmacology
The first full description of 5-Amino-1MQ as a selective NNMT blocker that can enter cells. In mice it reversed obesity caused by a high-fat diet. Body weight, body fat and blood cholesterol all fell. Read the paper
Babula and colleagues, 2024 · Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
A newer study that built on the earlier results. Blocking NNMT with a drug eased markers of metabolic dysfunction tied to obesity in lab models. Read the paper
Safety and legal status
- 5-Amino-1MQ is a research compound still under study. As of 2026, it is not approved by the FDA, the EMA or the MHRA for any medical use in people.
- The World Anti-Doping Agency does not list it by name on its Prohibited List.
- For laboratory research use only. It is not for human use.