The rise of mitochondria in medicine

Abstract

Once considered exclusively the cell's powerhouse, mitochondria are now recognized to perform multiple essential cellular functions beyond energy production, impacting most areas of cell biology and medicine. Since the emergence of molecular biology and the discovery of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA defects in the 1980's, research advances have revealed a number of common human diseases which share an underlying pathogenesis involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria undergo function-defining dynamic shape changes, communicate with each other, regulate gene expression within the nucleus, modulate synaptic transmission within the brain, release molecules that contribute to oncogenic transformation and trigger inflammatory responses systemically, and influence the regulation of complex physiological systems. Novel “mitopathogenic” mechanisms are thus being uncovered across a number of medical disciplines including genetics, oncology, neurology, immunology, and critical care medicine. Increasing knowledge of the bioenergetic aspects of human disease has provided new opportunities for diagnosis, therapy, prevention, and in connecting various domains of medicine. In this article, we overview specific aspects of mitochondrial biology that have contributed to – and likely will continue to enhance the progress of modern medicine.

Antitumor activity of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides with different molecular weights: an in vitro and in vivo study

“…In our study, we found that LBP3 disrupted MMP and induced H22 cell apoptosis. The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell [22], and we conclude that LBP-3 induced H22 cell apoptosis partly by disrupting MMP. Furthermore, LBP-3 could cause H22 cell arrest at the S phase.…”

“…Since the mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell [22], disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) is one of the crucial factors in cell apoptosis [23] and has become a pharmacological target in cancer therapy for alterations in mitochondrial structure and functions that have long been observed in cancer cells [24]. Rhodamine-123 as a cationic fluorescent probe has been used for the measurement of MMP [25].…”

Morphological and molecular variations induce mitochondrial dysfunction as a possible underlying mechanism of athletic amenorrhea

“…The mtDNA content is frequently used as a marker of mitochondrial density, while it also reflects the oxidative or ATP-producing capacity of tissues (11). Alterations in the mtDNA, which are reflected by the change of its copy number and its mutation, have been reported to be involved in a series of diseases and in organ dysfunction (4). Several studies have reported that the alterations of mtDNA are involved in the maturity, aging and lesion formation in the ovary (12,13).…”

“…Mitochondrial abnormity or dysfunction has been reported to be involved in various diseases (4). To some of these diseases, the dysfunction of mitochondrion is considered as a key mechanism to cause the dysfunction of the organ, thus it was conjectured that the dysfunction of mitochondrion may cause the dysfunction of ovary, which may result in AA.…”

WAYS AND MECHANISMS OF TRANSMEMBRANE EXCHANGE OF Ca2 + IN MITOCHONDRIA

“…У свою чергу Са 2+ -перевантаження мітохондрій та гіперпродукція АФК органелами лежать в основі розвитку таких патологічних станів, як серцево-судинні [52][53][54][55], нейродегенеративні [56][57][58], запальні захворювання [59,60], рак [61][62][63]. Саме тому перспективним напрям-ком у лікуванні вищезазначених патологій є мітохондріально-спрямована антиоксидантна терапія із використанням пластохінону, коензиму Q10, його аналога мітохінону, L-кар нітину -сполук, які здатні відносно спе цифічно акумулюватися мітохондріями і чини ти в цих компартментах антиоксидантну дію [56].…”