Tag

Mitochondria

All articles tagged with #mitochondria

science8 days ago•48 min saved

A Tiny Lipid Switch Could Revive Cellular Powerhouses and Slow Aging

A study led by researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging links age-related mitochondrial decline to dropping levels of the membrane lipid phosphatidylcholine. As phosphatidylcholine wanes, mitochondria lose flexibility and efficiency, contributing to aging. Across human cells and the worm C. elegans, the team found that supplying choline or phosphatidylcholine can partially restore youthful mitochondrial function, suggesting that targeting this lipid pathway might slow—or even reverse—aspects of aging.

via Yahoo|

#aging #choline #membrane-lipid

neuroscience18 days ago•2 min saved

Tau's mitochondrial twist fuels new Alzheimer's drug strategy

Stanford researchers found tau can trigger reverse electron transport in mitochondria, generating reactive oxygen species and cellular stress; blocking this retrograde flow reversed harmful effects and improved learning/memory in flies and mice, suggesting a novel therapeutic angle for Alzheimer’s. Early human cell/tissue data support the idea, and two authors have started a biotech startup to pursue further validation, though results in people remain unproven.

via STAT|

#alzheimers #mitochondria #neurodegeneration

science19 days ago•82 min saved

Ancient mitochondrial relay links haem availability to translation via DELE1–HRI

A mitochondrial haeme-sensing pathway, mediated by OMA1 and DELE1, senses haem deficiency and promotes haem release from the HRI kinase in the cytosol, activating translation control via the ISR. This ancient signaling axis operates across human tissues including erythroid progenitors, is conserved back to simple organisms, and pharmacological manipulation of the pathway can boost fetal globin expression, suggesting new therapeutic angles for haemoglobinopathies.

via Nature|

#dele1 #haem #hri

science22 days ago•6 min saved

Mitochondrial plaques emerge as a new Alzheimer's culprit

Nature Neuroscience reports a new Alzheimer's pathology: mitochondrial plaques formed from impaired mitophagy, found in both mouse models and human brains, that can appear with or without amyloid-beta, accumulate in neuronal processes, recruit lysosomes, and hamper mitochondrial degradation. This suggests future therapies should target mitochondrial toxicity alongside amyloid pathology and aim to boost mitophagy to slow disease progression.

via ScienceAlert|

#alzheimers-disease #mitochondria #mitochondrial-plaques

science26 days ago•83 min saved

Mitochondrial citrate metabolism governs aging-related inflammation via epigenetic SASP control

A recent study finds that senescent cells rely on the mitochondrial citrate–acetyl‑CoA axis to maintain histone acetylation at SASP gene loci, supporting inflammatory output. Inhibiting citrate export (SLC25A1) or the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier reduces acetyl‑CoA supply, lowers SASP gene expression, and dampens inflammation without reversing senescence, which in aged mice translates to improved healthspan. The mtDNA–cGAS–STING inflammatory pathway and mitochondrial metabolic control function as independent but complementary inputs to SASP, revealing a mitochondrial–epigenetic checkpoint that could be targeted to mitigate aging-related inflammation.

via Nature|

#acetyl-coa #aging #histone-acetylation

science28 days ago•14 min saved

Life’s faint glow: a potential new signal for health and disease

All living beings emit ultraweak biophotons detectable with sensitive cameras, a signal linked to metabolism and oxidative stress. Researchers hope these faint photons could reveal health status, distinguish cancerous from healthy cells, monitor disease progression, and possibly enable noninvasive diagnostics or light-based therapies, though evidence for photon-based cellular communication remains controversial and the field is still maturing.

via Nature|

#biophotonics #biophotons #cancer-detection

health1 month ago•6 min saved

Mediterranean Diet Taps Tiny Mitochondrial Messengers for Heart and Brain Protection

An observational USC-led study found that older adults with strong adherence to a Mediterranean diet had higher blood levels of mitochondrial microproteins humanin and SHMOOSE, which are linked to cardiovascular and neuroprotective effects. Specific diet components correlated with each protein (olive oil, fish, and legumes with higher humanin; olive oil and lower refined carbs with higher SHMOOSE), suggesting a new pathway by which the diet may promote healthy aging and offering potential biomarkers for diet response, though causality cannot be established from the study.

via ScienceDaily|

#health #humanin #mediterranean-diet

science1 month ago•26 min saved

Andean Leaf-Eared Mouse Defies the Death Zone With Detox Adaptations

Scientists analyzed 160 mice from sea level to nearly 7,000 m and found that high-altitude individuals survive by a combination of mitochondria-rich muscles, fat-based heat production, and detoxification genes that let them process toxic alpine plants. The mice interbreed with lowland relatives, yet natural selection preserves these traits, indicating metabolism and detoxification are as crucial as oxygen transport for enduring chronic hypoxia. The study, published in Science, suggests detox pathways and energy metabolism are key to life in extreme environments and may inform biomedical research on cellular responses to low oxygen.

via ZME Science|

#andean-leaf-eared-mouse #brown-fat-metabolism #detoxification

science1 month ago•19 min saved

Mitochondria as the Mind’s Energy Engineers

Columbia’s Martin Picard posits that mitochondria—the cell’s energy transformers—shape health, mood, and consciousness, linking energy flow to the experience of life. Through the mitochondrial health index and brain maps, his team seeks to turn energy patterns into a unifying framework for disease and wellbeing, with chamber studies and real-world trials guiding a planned nonprofit institute; the ideas are provocative and still require broader validation.

via Quanta Magazine|

#consciousness #energy-metabolism #health

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Spaceflight Suppresses Mitochondrial Protein Production, Study Shows

Experiments on the International Space Station show microgravity lowers mitochondrial protein production in human cells and in Caenorhabditis elegans larvae by reducing mitochondrial mRNA and ribosome-driven protein synthesis, and reveal a gravity-sensing pathway linked to cell adhesion that could explain spaceflight–related protein activity changes and guide astronaut health strategies.

via Nature|

#microgravity #mitochondria #ribosomes

health1 month ago•5 min saved

Regular Exercise May Keep Muscles Molecularly Younger, Study Finds

A Nature Aging study of 47 adults (younger vs. older, with older split into exercise levels) found those who exercised regularly had fewer age-related changes in muscle gene expression and less pronounced NAD+-related metabolite changes, implying muscles may stay molecularly younger with activity. The older exercisers also averaged about 14,000 steps per day versus 7,000 for normally active peers. While findings support the link between activity and preserved muscle biology, they’re correlational and not proof of reduced disability, falls, or longer life. Current guidance remains at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week plus strength training, with implications for targeting pathways to help those unable to be active.

via AOL.com|

#aging #exercise #health

science1 month ago•12 min saved

Hypoxia reverses a proteostasis-linked mitochondrial disease via HTRA2-CLPB axis

Reducing oxygen levels (hypoxia) can rescue a mitochondrial disease driven by proteostasis defects linked to the HTRA2–CLPB axis, extending oxygen-based therapy concepts beyond primary respiratory chain mutations.

via Nature|

#complex-i-dysfunction #htra2-clpb-axis #hypoxia

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Mitch protein switch makes human cells burn fats for energy, opening obesity research avenue

Weizmann Institute researchers showed that deleting MTCH2 (Mitch) in human cells triggers a hypermetabolic state: mitochondria burn more fuel, especially fats, while fat storage and fat-cell formation are reduced, shedding light on MTCH2 as a regulator of cellular energy and obesity—though translating this into safe human therapies will require extensive follow-up.

via ScienceAlert|

#adipogenesis #metabolism #mitch

science1 month ago•5 min saved

MTCH2 protein switch could boost fat burn while hindering new fat cells

Researchers identify MTCH2 ('Mitch') as a regulator of mitochondrial fusion; deleting Mitch in human cells fragments mitochondria and increases energy demand, boosting fat and carbohydrate breakdown and reducing new fat-cell formation. In mice, Mitch suppression in muscle improves endurance and protects against obesity. The findings point to Mitch as a potential target to enhance fat burning while limiting fat storage, though the work is early-stage and preclinical.

via ScienceDaily|

#adipogenesis #fat-metabolism #mitochondria

health1 month ago•2 min saved

Sedentary Living Erodes Cellular Energy, Signals Early Disease Risk

Healthy but sedentary adults show early cellular energy declines: mitochondrial efficiency drops 28–36%, MPC1 protein is 49% lower, and CPT1 activity is halved, alongside 38% lower VO2 max and 60% higher lactate during exertion, indicating a pre-disease shift in fuel processing that regular exercise may help prevent by maintaining mitochondrial fuel-switching (metabolic flexibility).

via CU Anschutz newsroom|

#cpt1 #exercise #health