bims-mionch 2024-06-02 papers

Issue of 2024–06–02
two papers selected by
Gun Kim, Seoul National University

Mil Med Res. 2024 May 29. 11(1): 32

Mitochondrial quality control in human health and disease.

Bo-Hao Liu, Chen-Zhen Xu, Yi Liu, Zi-Long Lu, Ting-Lv Fu, Guo-Rui Li, Yu Deng, Guo-Qing Luo, Song Ding, Ning Li, Qing Geng.

Mitochondria, the most crucial energy-generating organelles in eukaryotic cells, play a pivotal role in regulating energy metabolism. However, their significance extends beyond this, as they are also indispensable in vital life processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, immune responses, and redox balance. In response to various physiological signals or external stimuli, a sophisticated mitochondrial quality control (MQC) mechanism has evolved, encompassing key processes like mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy, which have garnered increasing attention from researchers to unveil their specific molecular mechanisms. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the primary mechanisms and functions of key regulators involved in major components of MQC. Furthermore, the critical physiological functions regulated by MQC and its diverse roles in the progression of various systemic diseases have been described in detail. We also discuss agonists or antagonists targeting MQC, aiming to explore potential therapeutic and research prospects by enhancing MQC to stabilize mitochondrial function.

Keywords: Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; Digestive system disease; Kidney disease; Metabolic disease; Metabolism; Mitochondrial quality control; Nervous disease; Programmed cell death; Pulmonary disease

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-024-00536-5

Nat Nanotechnol. 2024 May 27.

Oral mitochondrial transplantation using nanomotors to treat ischaemic heart disease.

Ziyu Wu, Lin Chen, Wenyan Guo, Jun Wang, Haiya Ni, Jianing Liu, Wentao Jiang, Jian Shen, Chun Mao, Min Zhou, Mimi Wan.

Mitochondrial transplantation is an important therapeutic strategy for restoring energy supply in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD); however, it is limited by the invasiveness of the transplantation method and loss of mitochondrial activity. Here we report successful mitochondrial transplantation by oral administration for IHD therapy. A nitric-oxide-releasing nanomotor is modified on the mitochondria surface to obtain nanomotorized mitochondria with chemotactic targeting ability towards damaged heart tissue due to nanomotor action. The nanomotorized mitochondria are packaged in enteric capsules to protect them from gastric acid erosion. After oral delivery the mitochondria are released in the intestine, where they are quickly absorbed by intestinal cells and secreted into the bloodstream, allowing delivery to the damaged heart tissue. The regulation of disease microenvironment by the nanomotorized mitochondria can not only achieve rapid uptake and high retention of mitochondria by damaged cardiomyocytes but also maintains high activity of the transplanted mitochondria. Furthermore, results from animal models of IHD indicate that the accumulated nanomotorized mitochondria in the damaged heart tissue can regulate cardiac metabolism at the transcriptional level, thus preventing IHD progression. This strategy has the potential to change the therapeutic strategy used to treat IHD.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01681-7