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While research into the genetic condition Wolfram syndrome has long focused on a cellular component called the endoplasmic reticulum, researchers in Estonia widened their view, and discovered that mitochondria are key contributors to the disease. In addition to advancing an understanding of this syndrome, the study, “Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in…
In what could be deemed a historic discovery, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have untangled how the process of mitochondrial DNA division is organized, a process linked to the division and later distribution of mitochondria within cells. The study “ER-mitochondria contacts couple mtDNA synthesis with mitochondrial division…
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…
Researchers at the Vanderbilt University shed light on the mechanism by which mutations in mitochondrial DNA encourage the development and advancement of numerous mitochondrial diseases — work that helps to explain how these “selfish genetic elements” survive and even thrive despite the damage they do. The researchers, led by Maulik…
Looking no more eye-catching than a tanning bed, THOR Photomedicine’s Whole Body Light Pod NovoTHOR, capable of improving mitochondrial function, was named the Invention of the Year at the recent Elite Sports Rehabilitation Expo 2016. While the device is new, the method — using low-intensity laser to improve tissue healing…
Changes in the metabolism of mitochondria contribute to adaptations that the immune system makes when encountering bacteria, alive or dead, according to new research published in the journal Nature Immunology. According to a press release, the findings described in the study “Mitochondrial respiratory-chain adaptations in…
MitoMedical, which specializes in supplements for mitochondrial dysfunction, has launched a public education initiative to help parents of children with mitochondrial problems to learn more about how brain conditions, such as autism, might arise when mitochondria are not working properly. As part of the initiative, MitoMedical released an educational webinar…
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), a nonprofit organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases, published the Physician Guide to Mitochondrial Myopathies, available free online to medical professionals worldwide. The guide, written by Drs. Michelangelo Mancuso and Michio Hirano, can be…
Researchers at the University of Granada in Spain developed a new carrier system for the delivery of gene therapy to cells derived from a mouse model of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency, a mitochondrial condition leading to brain damage. The study, “Gene Therapy Corrects Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Hematopoietic…
A study confirming genetic diagnoses of mitochondrial disease suggests that a new method is a reliable tool for identifying genetic mutations that cause mitochondrial disease in children and infants and for increasing early treatment. The method uses whole exome sequencing – a screening of all genome coding parts (a person’s unique set of genetic instructions.)…
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