How Mitochondria Control Health and Disease in Your Cells
- Authors
- Volker Schirrmacher
- Journal
- Biomedicines
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3390/biomedicines8110526
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Germany
- Health Condition
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Mitochondria are the power plants inside our cells, and when they stop working right, they cause big diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Scientists found that if we can fix how mitochondria work or help our immune system fight cancer better, we might be able to treat these serious diseases.
Summary
This extensive review analyzed 156 recent publications examining mitochondrial function in health and disease. Researchers found that mitochondria can reprogram between energy supply and metabolic functions to meet cellular needs. Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies major chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative conditions, immune disorders, and cancer. The study particularly highlighted competition between cancer cells and immune cells for energy resources in tumor environments. Researchers demonstrated successful reversal of cancer cachexia through immune cell transfer, suggesting new therapeutic approaches targeting mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism for treating chronic diseases.
Abstract (excerpt)
Mitochondria are of great relevance to health, and their dysregulation is associated with major chronic diseases. Research on mitochondria-156 brand new publications from 2019 and 2020-have contributed to this review. Mitochondria have been fundamental for the evolution of complex organisms…