Author Archives: Patricia Inacio, PhD

Patients with colon and rectal cancer have higher than normal pieces of mitochondrial DNA in their larger DNA portfolio, which is known as nuclear DNA, according to a study. The University of Alabama, Birmingham study, “Migration of mitochondrial DNA in the nuclear genome of colorectal adenocarcinoma,” was published in the…

In female rats, hormone deprivation was shown to negatively impact the health and function of mitochondria located in the high-demanding brain region called hippocampus. The study “Hormone deprivation alters mitochondrial function and lipid profile in the hippocampus” was published in the Journal of Endocrinology. In females, reproductive senescence…

Aerobic exercise helped to restore mitochondrial health in aging mice, which worked to make their  blood vessels more supple and resilient, a new study reported. The study, “Voluntary aerobic exercise increases arterial resilience and mitochondrial health with aging in mice,” was recently published in the journal Aging. Defects in…

Both mouse and fruit fly animal models of Leigh syndrome suggest that blocking a specific pathway controlled by the protein TOR increases animals’ lifespan. The results suggest that a future therapeutic strategy for Leigh syndrome, and possibly other mitochondria diseases, may require TOR inhibition. The study, “Rapamycin enhances survival…

The first baby with DNA from three people has been born, representing a novel step in in vitro fertilization procedures. The technique allows parents with a rare genetic mutation to have healthy babies, but has gained controversy because the newborn has the genetic material of two females and one male. The now 6-month…

Researchers have developed novel tools that allow a deeper and closer look at intracellular mechanisms occurring at the interface of mitochondria and other cell organelles. The findings were published July 6 in the journal Molecular Cell. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are usually depicted as the bad guys, underlying several diseases and…

Obesity and metabolic disorders in a woman can be passed to future generations, even if a child is fed a healthy diet, and — at least in mice, the subjects of this study — may be a predetermined outcome even before the offspring are conceived. The study, “Maternal Metabolic Syndrome…

Injured nerve cells in mature mice were better able to repair themselves when researchers boosted the transport of mitochondria along neuronal axons. This finding, which suggests a new way of working to stimulate regrowth in human neurons damaged by injury or disease, is reported in the study “Facilitation of axon regeneration by enhancing mitochondrial…

Researchers observed in action a key player in mitochondria calcium uptake, shedding new light on the mechanisms underlying deregulated mitochondrial diseases. The study, “MCUR1 Is a Scaffold Factor for the MCU Complex Function and Promotes Mitochondrial Bioenergetics,” was published in the journal Cell Reports. Mitochondria, the cells’ power…

In a new study, researchers at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research in Dallas, Texas, showed that immune cells, called neutrophils, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) release oxidized DNA from their mitochondria, stimulating a damaging immune response. Therapies targeting the pathway that lead to the accumulation of this DNA, or finding those…