Tag: Mitochondrial Dysfunction

In Aging Cell, researchers have described how suppressing the ghrelin receptor improves muscle function and fights sarcopenia in older mice. An appetite hormone with negative effects Ghrelin has been well-documented as stimulating both appetite and growth [1]. However, this hormone, which increases with aging [2], has negative effects in older organisms; deleting ghrelin has been...

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...

The European Heart Journal has published a review of what happens to the human heart as it ages, noting the cellular effects of mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular senescence along with more visible changes such as hypertrophy and fibrosis. A constantly working organ The reviewers begin this paper by noting the constant work of the heart,...

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...

Researchers publishing in Nature Aging have described how mitochondrial stress is a key part of why senolytics are effective. Finding targeted effectiveness What Are Senolytics? Senotherapeutics for Senescent CellsSenolytics work by targeting one of several pro-survival pathways that senescent cells use to evade apoptosis and cling onto life. One of the challenges in dealing with...

Scientists have created “nanoflowers” that nudge donor cells to produce more mitochondria, which can then be transferred to recipient cells to boost their mitochondrial function [1]. Mitochondrial transfer is difficult to improve Energy is required for life, and most energy in our cells is produced by mitochondria. When these organelles start to falter, it's a...