Regulation of Physiological Mitophagy
Prof. Thomas G. McWilliams from University of Helsinki, Finland will join the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 congress and will present his research on "Regulation of Physiological Mitophagy".
Key Publications
McWilliams TG*,Prescott AR, Montava-Garriga L, Brooks SP, Singh F, Barini E, Muqit MM and Ganley IG*(2018a)
Basal mitophagy occurs independently of PINK1 in mouse tissues of high-metabolic demand. Cell Metabolism Feb 06; 27(2): 439-449.
McWilliams TG* et al., (+28 Authors) Ganley IG, Suomalainen A, Muqit MMK*(2018b).
Phosphorylation of Parkin at Serine65 is essential for its activation in vivo.
Open Biology. Nov8:180108.
Suomi F & McWilliams TG*(2019)
Autophagy in the nervous system: a primer for neuroscientists.
Neuronal Signaling 3 (3): NS20180134.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Mitochondrial Transplantation Therapy, the Recent Advances and Perspective
Dr. James McCully, from the Harvard Medical School Department of Cardiac Surgery Boston Children’s Hospital, USA, will be joining the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 World Congress, which will be held October 27-29, 2021.
Dr. McCully will present his recent study on "Mitochondrial Transplantation Therapy, the Recent Advances and Perspective" during the congress.
Dr. McCully’s research focuses on the mechanisms and subcellular localization of the biochemical and molecular events contributing to myocardial cell death. In particular, his lab has investigated the discriminant and/or coordinate mechanisms leading to ischemia/reperfusion injury in the neonate, child, mature and aged male and female with particular emphasis on the development of novel and specific cardioprotective protocols.
Recently he has developed a novel approach to cardioprotection using autologous mitochondrial transplantation. His research has demonstrated that transplantation of autogeneic mitochondria into the ischemic zone of the myocardium during early reperfusion significantly enhances post-ischemic functional recovery.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Big Change from Small Player - Mitochondria Alter Body Metabolism and Gene Expression
Prof. Scott Ballinger from University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA will be joining the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 World Congress, which will be held October 27-29, 2021 and give a presentation on "Big Change from Small Player - Mitochondria Alter Body Metabolism and Gene Expression".
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Extracellular Mitochondria for Therapy and Diagnosis in Stroke
Dr. Kazuhide Hayakawa, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School/ Massachusetts General Hospital, USA will join the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 congress which will be held on October 27-29, 2021 and give a presentation entitle "Extracellular Mitochondria for Therapy and Diagnosis in Stroke".
Recent accumulating findings in cell were provided by Dr. Hayakawa, as well as in animals and humans. These studies suggest that mitochondria maybe surprisingly present in extracellular space andregulatea non-cell-autonomous mechanism in the CNS by mediating injury and recovery. Given that extracellular mitochondria are passively secreted by damaged cells or released from activated cells, it may allow us to look into the metabolic status to diagnose overall disease severity or progress of repair. Moreover, exogenous mitochondrial transplantation may protect neurons in acute CNS injury. Further studies are warranted to carefully assess whether extracellular mitochondria serve as a novel class of biomarkers and whether the putative transfer of mitochondria between cells in the CNS can be leveraged to augment recovery after stroke or neurodegenerative diseases.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Clinical Application of Antioxidants to Improve Human Oocyte Mitochondrial Function: Advances and Perspective
Dr. Cristina Rodríguez-Varela from Medical Research Institute Hospital La Fe (IIS La Fe) in Valencia, Spain will give a presentation on Clinical Application of Antioxidants to Improve Human Oocyte Mitochondrial Function: Advances and Perspective.
Dr. Rodríguez-Varela will discuss the fact that mitochondria are essential organelles in the acquisition of human oocyte competence, as sufficient energy levels are crucial for optimal oocyte maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryo development. In addition, mitochondria constitute the first antioxidant line of defense within the cell, counteracting reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from its own metabolism. An imbalance between the amount of ROS produced and the capacity of the cell to counteract them leads to oxidative stress, and ultimately to mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysfunction, in turn, impairs cellular functions through reduced ATP output and/or increased oxidative stress. Hence, oxidative stress may be the cause of, or be caused by, mitochondrial dysfunction. Regardless of the origin, this condition gives rise to a vicious cycle with positive feedback, ultimately compromising the overall oocyte quality. Antioxidant therapy has arisen in this context as a new approach aiming to improve human oocyte quality by means of improving, or just protecting, mitochondrial function. In this talk, we will highlight the importance of optimal levels of functional mitochondria in the acquisition of human oocyte competence, and we will give an overview of the main antioxidant supplementation therapies currently under research in our species.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Age-Related Mitochondrial Dysfunction as a Key Factor in COVID-19 Disease
Dr. Guillermo López-Lluch from Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC, Spain will be joining the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 World Congress, which will be held October 27-29, 2021 and give a presentation on Age-related Mitochondrial Dysfunction as a Key Factor in COVID-19 Disease.
Dr. Lluch states that COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases induce an inflammatory response mainly produced by the release of inflammatory cytokines. In this response, lymphocyte release of interferon decrease impairing the immune response against virus infection. In both, inflammatory response and inhibition of interferon release, activity of mitochondria plays a key role. Accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria during aging and chronic metabolic diseases can be the key of the inefficient response against respiratory infections.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Impact of Mitochondrial Dynamics on Stem Cell Function: Insights from Physiology, Diseases and Aging
Dr. Mireille Khacho, from Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada will be joining the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 World Congress, which will be held October 27-29, 2021 and will present her study on "The Impact of Mitochondrial Dynamics on Stem Cell Function: Insights from Physiology, Diseases and Aging".
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
Nuclear Sensing of Breaks in Mitochondrial DNA Enhances Immune Surveillance
Dr. Agnel Sfeir from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA, will give a presentation on :Nuclear Sensing of Breaks in Mitochondrial DNA Enhances Immune Surveillance"
Dr. Sfeir will describe mitochondrial DNA double-strand breaks (mtDSBs) as toxic lesions that compromise the integrity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and alter mitochondrial function. Communication between mitochondria and the nucleus is essential to maintain cellular homeostasis; however, the nuclear response to mtDSBs remains unknown. Here, using mitochondrial-targeted transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), we show that mtDSBs activate a type-I interferon response that involves the phosphorylation of STAT1 and activation of interferon-stimulated genes. After the formation of breaks in the mtDNA, herniation mediated by BAX and BAK releases mitochondrial RNA into the cytoplasm and triggers a RIG-I-MAVS-dependent immune response. We further investigated the effect of mtDSBs on interferon signalling after treatment with ionizing radiation and found a reduction in the activation of interferon-stimulated genes when cells that lack mtDNA are exposed to gamma irradiation. We also show that mtDNA breaks synergize with nuclear DNA damage to mount a robust cellular immune response. Taken together, we conclude that cytoplasmic accumulation of mitochondrial RNA is an intrinsic immune surveillance mechanism for cells to cope with mtDSBs, including breaks produced by genotoxic agents.
Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com
