5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule, not a peptide. It blocks an enzyme called NNMT, which normally tags the vitamin nicotinamide for disposal. Blocking NNMT leaves more nicotinamide for the cell to recycle into NAD+. All published work so far is in cells and mice. Artemis Labs supplies it for lab research only.
Reviewed August 21, 2026 · Artemis Labs
What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ (5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small-molecule selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) — the enzyme that methylates nicotinamide using S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl donor. NNMT inhibition raises cellular NAD⁺ and SAM pools and has been characterized in rodent research models. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule, not a peptide — catalogued alongside research peptides because of its mechanistic adjacency to metabolic and longevity research.
Why do researchers study 5-Amino-1MQ?
Adipocyte and whole-body metabolic axis. The foundational NNMT-knockdown paper (Kraus et al., Nature 2014, PMID 24717514) established NNMT as a master regulator of adipocyte energy metabolism. Dimet-Wiley et al. (Scientific Reports 2022, PMID 35013352) showed 5-Amino-1MQ administration combined with a low-fat diet produced whole-body adiposity reduction and a distinct gut microbiome signature in diet-induced-obese mice. Babula et al. (Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 2024, PMID 39161060) extended the metabolic dossier with dose-dependent body-weight + fat-mass reduction, improved glucose tolerance, and attenuated hepatic steatosis in obese mice.
Skeletal-muscle regenerative-biology axis. Neelakantan et al. (Biochemical Pharmacology 2019, PMID 30753815) demonstrated activation of senescent muscle stem cells in aged mice with ≈70% increase in regenerated-muscle peak torque. Dimet-Wiley et al. (Scientific Reports 2024, PMID 38969654) showed 5A-1MQ and progressive weighted exercise produce additive grip-strength gains in aged mice via distinct molecular mechanisms. Liang et al. (Aging Cell 2024, PMID 38838088) identified elevated NNMT as a sarcopenia-status predictor (AUC > 0.7).
Which salt form of 5-Amino-1MQ is used in published studies?
Vendor supply across the wider market varies between the chloride salt (C₁₀H₁₁N₂·Cl, MW 194.66 g/mol; no CAS is registered for the chloride — PubChem CID 176507677) and the iodide salt (CAS 42464-96-0, MW 286.11 g/mol, PubChem CID 66522933) — verify which form was used in any published study design being reproduced.
What does the 5-Amino-1MQ evidence not show?
The entire 5-Amino-1MQ efficacy and safety dossier consists of in-vitro and rodent studies — no human clinical trials have been published. Long-term (multi-month) exposure data does not exist in any published model; drug-interaction studies are absent; and most foundational in-vivo work originates from a single laboratory group (Watowich / Neelakantan at UTMB). Independent replication remains limited. The 2026 Trends in Pharmacological Sciences review frames NNMT-inhibitor clinical translation as an emerging opportunity rather than a delivered therapeutic result. Researchers should weight these gaps alongside the positive preclinical findings.
How does 5-Amino-1MQ differ from NMN, NR and SLU-PP-332?
Unlike the NAD⁺ precursors NMN and NR (which directly supply pathway precursors), 5-Amino-1MQ acts upstream by preventing nicotinamide methylation — preserving the substrate pool. Unlike pan-ERR agonists such as SLU-PP-332, 5-Amino-1MQ targets cofactor metabolism rather than nuclear-receptor transcriptional programs. The two axes are often paired as orthogonal-mechanism research models — for example with MOTS-c (mitochondrial signalling).
What is the regulatory status of 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ is a preclinical research compound. It has not entered human clinical trials, is not approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority for human use, and is supplied by Artemis Labs strictly for in-vitro and pre-clinical laboratory research. State shipping restrictions may apply. WADA classification: not currently a named compound on the WADA Prohibited List; the broader “metabolic modulators” category is on WADA monitoring lists — factual framing only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not for human consumption, therapeutic use, or veterinary use.
Analytical Specifications
| Class | Small-molecule selective NNMT inhibitor — not a peptide; no amino-acid sequence |
| Salt form supplied | Chloride salt (iodide form also common in the wider market) |
| Molecular formula | C₁₀H₁₁N₂·Cl |
| Molecular weight | 194.66 g/mol |
| CAS number | 42464-96-0 |
| Form | Lyophilized powder |
| Storage | −20 °C, protected from light |
References
- Kraus D et al. (2014). Nature — NNMT as a regulator of adipocyte energy metabolism. PMID 24717514 · doi:10.1038/nature13198
- Ehebauer F et al. (2020). Life Sciences — glucose-responsive NNMT expression in adipocytes. PMID 32112869
- Dimet-Wiley A et al. (2022). Scientific Reports — 5-Amino-1MQ in diet-induced-obese mice; gut-microbiome signature. PMID 35013352
- Park J et al. (2024). Archives of Pharmaceutical Research. PMID 39604638
- Yang M et al. (2024). J ImmunoTherapy Cancer — NNMT in cancer-associated fibroblasts. PMID 39067875
- Heide J et al. (2025). Nature — NNMT inhibition and antitumor immunity. PMID 40702186
- Neelakantan H et al. (2019). Biochemical Pharmacology — senescent muscle stem cell activation in aged mice; peak torque ≈70%. PMID 30753815
- Liang J et al. (2024). Aging Cell — elevated NNMT as a sarcopenia-status predictor (AUC > 0.7). PMID 38838088
- Dimet-Wiley AL et al. (2024). Scientific Reports — 5A-1MQ and progressive weighted exercise, additive grip-strength gains in aged mice. PMID 38969654
- Babula JJ et al. (2024). Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism — dose-dependent body-weight and fat-mass reduction in obese mice. PMID 39161060




