What triggers mitochondrial dysfunction?
What causes mitochondrial dysfunction? On a physiological level, mitochondrial dysfunction is caused by exposure to certain environmental factors (such as certain pharmaceutical drugs, occupational chemicals and cigarette smoke) or genetic abnormalities (of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA).
Is mitochondrial dysfunction reversible?
By administering nutritional supplements with replacement molecules and antioxidants, oxidative membrane damage and reductions of cofactors in normal tissues can be reversed, protecting and restoring mitochondrial and other cellular functions and reducing chemotherapy adverse effects.
What happens if there is mitochondrial damage?
Because nerve cells are postmitotic, any mitochondrial damage that is sustained will accumulate with age and lead to dysfunction. Widespread damage to mitochondria causes cells to die because they can no longer produce enough energy. Indeed, mitochondria themselves unleash the enzymes responsible for cell death.
What is mitochondrial death?
The mitochondrial pathway to apoptosis is a major pathway of physiological cell death in vertebrates. The release of pro-apoptotic factors such as cytochrome c from mitochondria leads to formation of a multimeric complex known as the apoptosome and initiates caspase activation cascades.
Who is professor Johan Auwerx?
Johan Auwerx is Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he occupies the Nestle Chair in Energy Metabolism. Dr. Auwerx has been using molecular physiology and systems genetics to understand metabolism in health, aging and disease.
What is Auwerx known for?
Auwerx uses molecular physiology and systems genetics to understand metabolism in health, aging and disease. Much of his work focuses on understanding how diet, exercise and hormones control metabolism through changing the expression of genes by altering the activity of transcription factors and their associated cofactors.
Where did Dr Auwerx go to college?
Dr. Auwerx received both his MD and PhD in Molecular Endocrinology at the Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium. He was a post-doctoral research fellow in the Departments of Medicine and Genetics of the University of Washington in Seattle.
How does gmc101 affect mitochondrial content in Worms?
Mitochondrial content was lower in GMC101 worms, as shown by decreased OXPHOS proteins, a reduced mitochondrial:nuclear DNA ratio and decreased citrate synthase activity ( Fig. 2c and Extended Data Fig. 3d, e ).