Mitochondria News and Research

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Researchers discover new import pathway used by proteins to reach mitochondria

Mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of the cell, converting the energy stored in foods into a form cells can use. When this important task fails, it can result in numerous diseases, particularly those affecting organs with a high energy consumption like the brain or the heart.

18 Sep 2015

Findings suggest link between cancer drug resistance and reactive oxygen species found in mitochondria

Increased levels of certain chemically reactive, oxygen-containing molecules in the body can cause patients to become resistant to cancer drugs such as chemotherapy, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

15 Sep 2015

UGA microbiology researchers identify potential mechanism for neurodegenerative diseases

Microbiology researchers at the University of Georgia studying a soil bacterium have identified a potential mechanism for neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Sep 2015

Study shows link between impaired mitochondria, energy failure, and neuronal dysfunction

A new study from the Gladstone Institutes shows for the first time that impairments in mitochondria--the brain's cellular power plants--can deplete cellular energy levels and cause neuronal dysfunction in a model of neurodegenerative disease.

15 Sep 2015

Diabetes drug 'suffocates' pancreatic cancer stem cells, new study finds

A new study shows that pancreatic cancer stem cells (PancSCs) are virtually addicted to oxygen-based metabolism, and could be "suffocated" with a drug already used to treat diabetes.

14 Sep 2015

New research shows direct evidence of greater mitochondrial damage in Gulf War veterans

One in four Gulf War veterans suffers from Gulf War Illness (GWI). The condition is characterized by unexplainable chronic fatigue, muscle pain and cognitive dysfunction and may be associated with exposure to chemicals, many identified as genotoxins, during deployment.

11 Sep 2015

Chronic alcohol consumption disrupts liver molecular circadian clock, leads to alcoholic liver disease

The activity of an organ in the body changes through the day and is governed by its internal clock, also known as a circadian clock. Staying on a circadian schedule is important for health, and disruptions lead to disease.

11 Sep 2015

Inhibiting key protein involved in glucose production may help in treating type 2 diabetes

Some treatments for type 2 diabetes make the body more sensitive to insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar. But new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests a different strategy: slowing the production of glucose in the liver.

4 Sep 2015

Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier could potentially be a new drug target to treat diabetes

High blood sugar is a defining characteristic of Type 2 diabetes and the cause of many of the condition's complications, including kidney failure, heart disease, and blindness. Most diabetes medications aim to maintain normal blood sugar (glucose) levels and prevent high blood sugar by controlling insulin.

3 Sep 2015

Brain cells in Parkinson's disease die prematurely, burning out like an overheating motor

The death of brain cells in Parkinson's disease may be caused by a form of cellular energy crisis in neurons that require unusually high quantities of energy to carry out their job of regulating movement, researchers at the University of Montreal reported today.

28 Aug 2015

Study sheds further light on the way APOL1 protein kills trypanosmoe

The African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei is a blood parasite capable of infecting many mammals. Humans are provided with natural immunity against infection through the activity of the protein apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1): captured via endocytosis, APOL1 forms pores in the lysosomal membrane, leading to the death of the trypanosome.

27 Aug 2015

Alpha lipoic acid can stimulate telomerase with positive effects in mouse model of atherosclerosis

In human cells, shortened telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, are both a sign of aging and contribute to it. Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found that the dietary supplement alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can stimulate telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens telomeres, with positive effects in a mouse model of atherosclerosis.

24 Aug 2015

Potential biomarker could help prevent pre-diabetic individuals from developing Type II diabetes

Virginia Tech researchers have identified a biomarker in pre-diabetic individuals that could help prevent them from developing Type II diabetes.

21 Aug 2015

Energy-burning 'good' fat helps reduce weight gain, lower blood glucose levels in mice

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a novel way to engineer the growth and expansion of energy-burning "good" fat, and then found that this fat helped reduce weight gain and lower blood glucose levels in mice.

20 Aug 2015

Study suggests potential target for treating familial form of ALS

A healthy motor neuron needs to transport its damaged components from the nerve-muscle connection all the way back to the cell body in the spinal cord. If it cannot, the defective components pile up and the cell becomes sick and dies. Researchers at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have learned how a mutation in the gene for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which causes ALS, leads cells to accumulate damaged materials.

13 Aug 2015

Scientists develop biosensor to measure abnormal activity of cell 'fuel' carrier

To be able to function, cell mitochondria import "fuel" using a carrier, the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier (MPC). In order to determine whether the MPC is still functional in malignant cells, the team of Professor Jean-Claude Martinou, at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, has just developed a biosensor to measure its live activity.

7 Aug 2015

Animal study shows children exposed to famine grow smaller, become susceptible to metabolic diseases

Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in roundworms. The effects are what Duke University biologist Ryan Baugh terms a "bet-hedging strategy."

3 Aug 2015

Balancing cellular aging and cancer risk through biotechnology

In a way, trying to repair age-related heart damage and trying to fight cancer are opposite problems. Your heart cells' ability to regenerate themselves and proliferate into new, young cells degrades as you get older.

30 Jul 2015

New approach holds great promise for developing effective treatments for human mitochondrial diseases

Using existing drugs, such as lithium, to restore basic biological processes in human cells and animal models, researchers may have broken a long-standing logjam in devising effective treatments for human mitochondrial diseases.

21 Jul 2015

New research offers potential for early intervention to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

New research led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center provides the first direct evidence linking traumatic brain injury to Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- and offers the potential for early intervention to prevent the development of these debilitating neurodegenerative diseases.

16 Jul 2015

Mitochondria News and Research

Researchers discover new import pathway used by proteins to reach mitochondria

Findings suggest link between cancer drug resistance and reactive oxygen species found in mitochondria

UGA microbiology researchers identify potential mechanism for neurodegenerative diseases

Study shows link between impaired mitochondria, energy failure, and neuronal dysfunction

Diabetes drug 'suffocates' pancreatic cancer stem cells, new study finds

New research shows direct evidence of greater mitochondrial damage in Gulf War veterans

Chronic alcohol consumption disrupts liver molecular circadian clock, leads to alcoholic liver disease

Inhibiting key protein involved in glucose production may help in treating type 2 diabetes

Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier could potentially be a new drug target to treat diabetes

Brain cells in Parkinson's disease die prematurely, burning out like an overheating motor

Study sheds further light on the way APOL1 protein kills trypanosmoe

Alpha lipoic acid can stimulate telomerase with positive effects in mouse model of atherosclerosis

Potential biomarker could help prevent pre-diabetic individuals from developing Type II diabetes

Energy-burning 'good' fat helps reduce weight gain, lower blood glucose levels in mice

Study suggests potential target for treating familial form of ALS

Scientists develop biosensor to measure abnormal activity of cell 'fuel' carrier

Animal study shows children exposed to famine grow smaller, become susceptible to metabolic diseases

Balancing cellular aging and cancer risk through biotechnology

New approach holds great promise for developing effective treatments for human mitochondrial diseases

New research offers potential for early intervention to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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