SIRT1, a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, is the most conserved member of the sirtuins family. Through deacetylation of a number of protein substrates that are important transcription factors or co-factors, SIRT1 regulates many vital biological processes such as metabolism, cellular stress response, stem cell pluripotency, and development.

The present invention describes SIRT1 KO human cell lines in three different cell types generated by using the CRISPR/Cas9-hSIRT1 DNA editing constructs designed and provided by Horizon Discovery, a UK based biotechnology company. The cells lines can be used to elucidate the role of SIRT1 in human and to screen for SIRT1 activators or inhibitors that have potential therapeutic applications in a number of human diseases, such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, and cancer.