by Public Library of Science The powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria, provides energy for cellular functions. But those activities can become disturbed when chronic stress leads to anxiety symptoms in mice and humans. Iiris Hovatta of the University of Helsinki and colleagues report these findings in a new study published 26th September in PLOS...
Category: <span>Mitochondrial Protease Therapy</span>
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New way to tackle mitochondrial disease
Diseases affecting mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, are often caused by mutations in the mitochondrial DNA. Symptoms of such mitochondrial diseases in mice can be ameliorated by increasing their levels of mitochondrial DNA, according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet. The study is published in Science Advances and could lead to a novel treatment strategy for such mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria are highly dynamic...
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Gene behind long-recognized mitochondrial disease has highly varied effects
CHOP researchers find more than 30 variations in the MT-ATP6 gene with broadly variable clinical symptoms and biochemical features CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia, March 12, 2019–For more than two decades, mutations in a gene located in the DNA of mitochondria have been classified as a mitochondrial disease and linked to a particular set of symptoms. However,...
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An existing drug may have therapeutic potential in mitochondrial disease
New preclinical findings from extensive cell and animal studies suggest that a drug already used for a rare kidney disease could benefit patients with some mitochondrial disorders—complex conditions with severe energy deficiency for which no proven effective treatments exist. Future clinical research is needed to explore whether the drug, cysteamine bitartrate, will meaningfully benefit patients....
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Better together: Mitochondrial fusion supports cell division
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. And for mitochondria, much like for double-header engines stacked together in a steam train, working in multiples has its benefits. New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that when cells divide rapidly, their mitochondria are fused together. In this configuration, the cell is able to more...
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Opinion: The Central Dogma of Mitochondrial Genetics Needs Rewriting
The recent discovery of 17 people who have inherited maternal and paternal lines of mitochondrial DNA has major ramifications for medical and ancestry research. Until last month, it was generally believed that mitochondria and their DNA are exclusively maternally inherited in humans. In a provocative report in PNAS, scientists identified 17 people from three unrelated...
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Big change from small player—mitochondrial background modulates whole body metabolism and gene expression
About 1.5 billion years ago, tiny visitors came to live inside the cells that later evolved into all plant and animal life—including humans. Those visitors were mitochondria, small organelles whose prominent role is producing 90 percent of the chemical energy cells need to survive. Evolutionarily speaking, humans, animals and plants are thus a combination of...
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Existing liver drug can help treat Alzheimer’s
Research reveals that an existing drug used to treat liver disease could also be employed in Alzheimer’s disease therapy. The drug “heals” malfunctioning elements at cellular level. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia. It affects around 5.7 million people in the United States and about 46.8 million people worldwide. An existing drug for...
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New theory may explain cause of depression and improve treatments
A review of recent studies suggests mitochondria may be the root cause of depression, providing an opportunity for novel antidepressant medication A new area in depression research suggests dysfunction in mitochondria — the main source of energy for cells — could lead to major depression. Published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, this new insight to long-held theories...
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Heat therapy boosts mitochondrial function in muscles
Increased capability of cells’ energy centers could help treat heart disease, diabetes AMERICAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY Rockville, Md. (July 31, 2018)–A new study finds that long-term heat therapy may increase mitochondrial function in the muscles. The discovery could lead to new treatments for people with chronic illness or disease. The study–the first of its kind in humans–is...