News

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.

Stealth BioTherapeutics presented new clinical trial data during the recent American College of Cardiology’s 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago, showing that its lead candidate elamipretide is both safe and well-tolerated in patients with heart failure. At the April 2–4 meeting, the company also reported demonstrated improvements in major secondary efficacy study measures, and that future…

Researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem developed a new “liver-on-chip” that could help scientists understand and study normal liver function and liver disease linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as to screen for new medications. A study describing the new technology, “Real-time Monitoring of Metabolic Function in Liver-on-Chip…

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…

Autistic children have increased rates of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions compared to healthy children – a finding that, surprisingly, is mirrored in the mtDNA copy numbers of their fathers. This odd circumstance is likely linked to deficits in the cancer gene p53, also found defective in the father-child duos. The…

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.

A free webinar explaining why Parkinson’s disease researchers are interested in studying mitochondrial function will be at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, April 6. The Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine (FMM) is hosting the Hope Flies Health Series Webinar titled “Research Connecting Parkinson’s Disease and Mitochondrial Disease,” according to a…

Researchers have, for the first time, detected differences in proteins in the brains of men and women with dementia. The findings advance understanding of the molecular differences underlying an increased dementia risk in women, and might pave the way for better interventions for men and women alike. They also re-enforce the…

The Sandra K. Russell Derby Day Benefit, a Kentucky Derby-themed event with a live broadcast of the May 7 race, will raise funds for MitoAction, a nonprofit working to advocate and educate on behalf of the people and families affected by mitochondrial diseases. According to a press release, the…

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.