Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Hepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the lab

(Medical Xpress)—The adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated and observed in Petri dishes and test tubes, thanks to a research team led by Craig Cameron, the Paul Berg ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Nov 16, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Saturated fatty acids lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance

Excessive levels of certain saturated fatty acids cause mitochondria to fragment, leading to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, a precursor of type 2 diabetes, according to a paper in the January issue of the journal ...

Medical research created Jan 20, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (6) | comments 8

Novel ALS drug slows symptom progression, reduces mortality in phase II trial

(Medical Xpress) -- Treatment with dexpramipexole -- a novel drug believed to prevent dysfunction of mitochondria, the subcellular structures that provide most of a cell's energy – appears to slow symptom ...

Medical research created Nov 20, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Key discovered to how chemotherapy drug causes heart failure

Doxorubicin, a 50-year-old chemotherapy drug still in widespread use against a variety of cancers, has long been known to destroy heart tissue, as well as tumors, in some patients.

Cancer created Oct 28, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers study mitochondrial function, potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are conducting an early phase clinical trial of a novel drug therapy for patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. The drug is a new compound called MSDC-0160, which ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created Feb 15, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

For mitochondria, bigger may not be better

Goldilocks was on to something when she preferred everything "just right." Harvard Medical School researchers have found that when it comes to the length of mitochondria, the power-producing organelles, applying the fairy ...

Medical research created Aug 23, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify Parkinson's disease link

(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center have found that mitochondrial quality and functional capacity play an important role in Parkinson's ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders created Mar 19, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Link found between insulin sensitivity, cells' powerhouses

If findings of a new study in mice are any indication, it might be possible to fine-tune cellular powerhouses called mitochondria, tweaking one aspect to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce body and fat ...

Medical research created Jan 29, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Two defective proteins conspire to impair the nerve cell's 'powerhouse' in Alzheimer's disease

Two proteins that are abnormally modified in the brains of patients with Alzheimer disease collude, resulting in ill effects on the crucial energy centers of brain cells, according to new findings published online in Neurobiology of ...

Neuroscience created May 13, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cell's 'battery' found to play central role in neurodegenerative disease

A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the 'batteries' or energy-producing power plants of cells.

Neuroscience created Jan 17, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Diabetic kidney failure follows a 'ROCK'y road

A protein kinase known as ROCK1 can exacerbate an important process called fission in the mitochondria, the power plants of cells, leading to diabetic kidney disease, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in a ...

Medical research created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Mitochondrial dysfunction present early in Alzheimer's, before memory loss

Mitochondria -- subunits inside cells that produce energy -- have long been thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. Now Mayo Clinic researchers using genetic mouse models have discovered that mitochondria in the brain ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists uncover potential drug target to block cell death in Parkinson's disease

Oxidative stress is a primary villain in a host of diseases that range from cancer and heart failure to Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders created Jan 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cell metabolism: Muscle loss can be caused by mitochondrial degradation induced by protein Mul1

Muscle withering can occur as part of the progression of many diseases, including cancer and muscular dystrophy, as well as during the normal aging process. Cellular organelles known as mitochondria provide ...

Medical research created Mar 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Arthritis cartilage shows mitochondrial dysfunction

(HealthDay)—Cartilage from osteoarthritis patients shows greater oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction than healthy cartilage, which is associated with the downregulation of the superoxide dismutase ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Nov 19, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Latest Spotlight News

Scientists uncover molecular roots of cocaine addiction in the brain

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have unraveled the molecular foundations of cocaine's effects on the brain, and identified a compound that blocks cravings for the drug in cocaine-addicted mice. The compound, already proven safe ...

Taming suspect gene reverses schizophrenia-like abnormalities in mice

Scientists have reversed behavioral and brain abnormalities in adult mice that resemble some features of schizophrenia by restoring normal expression to a suspect gene that is over-expressed in humans with ...

A molecular explanation for age-related fertility decline in women

(Medical Xpress)—Scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health have a new theory as to why a woman's fertility declines after her mid-30s. They also suggest an approach that might help slow ...

Medical researchers discover new ways to target, develop and design drugs to prevent and treat viral infection

Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a new drug target, developed a new drug and identified a new way to design drugs—all of which could be a winning combination in the battle against viruses.

Study says empathy plays a key role in moral judgments

Is it permissible to harm one to save many? Those who tend to say "yes" when faced with this classic dilemma are likely to be deficient in a specific kind of empathy, according to a report published in the scientific journal ...

Phthalates: Study links chemicals widely found in plastics, processed food to elevated blood pressure in children, teens

Plastic additives known as phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are odorless, colorless and just about everywhere: They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach balls, plastic wrap, intravenous tubing and—according to the ...

B vitamins could delay dementia

(Medical Xpress)—Despite spending billions of dollars on research and development, drug companies have been unable to come up with effective treatments for dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Now, A. ...

Reducing caloric intake delays nerve cell loss

Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, according to a study published in the May ...

New sleeping pill poised to hit US markets

An experimental sleeping pill from US drug company Merck is effective at helping people fall and stay asleep, according to reviewers at the US Food and Drug Administration, which could soon approve the new drug.

Antidepressant reduces stress-induced heart condition

A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.