Author Archives: Patricia Inacio, PhD

Rapamycin Use Increased Lifespan in Leigh Syndrome Animal Models

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…

New Tools May Give Closer Look at Mitochondria, Disease Mechanisms

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…

Mitochondria Calcium Uptake Found to Be Regulated by MCUR1 Protein

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…

Oxidized Mitochondrial DNA from Immune Cells Enhances Damaging Effects of Lupus, Researchers Say

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…