Author Archives: Patricia Inacio, PhD

A recent study revealed a new role for the mitochondria protein PITRM as a potential key player in Alzheimer’s disease. Future research is expected to reveal its role in other neurodegenerative diseases and establish its potential as a new therapeutic target in these types of diseases. The study, “…

Increased mitochondrial DNA damage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with diabetes mellitus and clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is associated with microvascular alterations, specifically, microvascular pulsability. The study, “Mitochondrial DNA damage and vascular function in patients with diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” was published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Mitochondria dysfunction disrupts normal development of interneurons, which may underlie the neurological symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, according to the results of a recent study, “Differential Mitochondrial Requirements for Radially and Non-radially Migrating Cortical Neurons: Implications for Mitochondrial Disorders,” published in the journal Cell Reports. Mitochondria are key organelles…

Kidneys began to recover from acute kidney injury when administered vitamin supplements that increase the levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), according to the study, “PGC1α drives NAD biosynthesis linking oxidative metabolism to renal protection,” published in the journal Nature. The research suggests that mitochondria are involved in this process.

In a study in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers propose that gene therapy may be a safe and efficient strategy to treat Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy disease (LHON). The study is titled “Efficacy and Safety of rAAV2-ND4 Treatment for Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.” LHON is a neurodegenerative mitochondria disease that leads to blindness.

A research team at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported that inhibiting the transfer of calcium ions to mitochondria is toxic to cancer cells, which “suggests that calcium addiction by mitochondria is a novel feature of cancer cells,” study lead author Kevin Foskett, Ph.D., chair of…

Targeting mitochondria with ceria nanoparticles effectively suppressed the death of neuron cells in a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the recent study, “Mitochondria-Targeting Ceria Nanoparticles as Antioxidants for Alzheimer’s Disease,” published in the ACS Nano journal. Mitochondrial oxidative stress is known to promote the pathological progression…

Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with the risk for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a study titled “Clinicopathological Implications of Mitochondrial Genome Alterations in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia” and published in the journal Annals of Laboratory Medicine. Mitochondria are key organelles within cells that are…

Patients with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) are closer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on mitochondria dysfunction, according to a recent study titled “Analysis of mitochondrial DNA alteration in new phenotype ACOS,” published in the open access journal BMC Pulmonary Medicine. Mitochondria are organelles within…

Specific variations in the mitochondria DNA genome correlate with an increased likelihood of symptoms in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), according to a study titled “Mitochondrial DNA variants correlate with symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome,” published in the Journal of Translational Medicine. ME/CFS is a rare acquired…