Tag: Mitochondria

Scientists have found that the levels of phosphatidylcholine, the most abundant lipid in mitochondrial membranes, decline with age, driving mitochondrial aging in worms and possibly humans. Supplementing the lipid helped in an in vitro experiment [1]. What drives mitochondrial aging? Mitochondria are the cell's energy-generating organelles, and their decline is a hallmark of aging [2]....

Scientists used red blood cells as membrane donors to encapsulate healthy mitochondria and send them into diseased cells, achieving improvements across multiple models and conditions [1]. The delivery problem Mitochondrial diseases are a diverse group of disorders that arise when mitochondria malfunction. They are often caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) itself or in...

Scientists have discovered that ATP deficiency disrupts dopamine processing in synapses, leading to the accumulation of the harmful protein species that characterize Parkinson’s disease. ATP supplementation helps, but the road to the clinic might be long [1]. Parkinson’s and dopamine Parkinson's disease is defined by two hallmarks: the death of dopamine-producing neurons in a midbrain...

In GeroScience, a large team of researchers, including João Pedro de Magalhães, has described a hundred currently unsolved problems in the field. Finding the right questions Understanding the fundamental nature of aging has been a problem since people first endeavored to live longer, to the point that finding the right questions can matter more than...

Scientists have discovered that directly reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at their source in astrocytes, mitochondrial complex III, improves neuronal health and significantly increases lifespan in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s [1]. Dangerous species Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are short-lived, highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide that are...

Scientists have discovered a possible mechanism behind age-related inflammation. It involves wrong building blocks being incorporated into mitochondrial DNA during replication and can be countered by adding the correct ones [1]. Too similar to bacteria Mitochondria, the cells’ energy-producing organelles, are considered to have developed from bacteria that once entered an ancient cell and stayed,...