The Future of Medicine will come through Mitochondria


Prof. Volkmar WeissigWe are excited to invite you to the 16th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria, happening from October 22–24, 2025, in Berlin.

Organized by the World Mitochondria Society, this annual event brings together top experts in mitochondrial research and medicine to share new discoveries and ideas in mitochondrial therapy, gene treatment, and mitochondrial transplantation.

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The Mitochondriotropic DecylTPP Group Lowers Mitochondrial OXPHOS Supercomplex Levels and Induces a Glycolytic Switch

Werner KoopmanProf. Werner Koopman, from the Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, will join the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress and will present a talk entitled "The Mitochondriotropic DecylTPP Group Lowers Mitochondrial OXPHOS Supercomplex Levels and Induces a Glycolytic Switch".

Prof. Koopman will discuss the bioenergetic effects of mitochondria-targeted Trolox(MitoE10), in comparison with mitochondria-targeted ubiquinone (MitoQ10) and two mitochondria-targeting moieties (decylTPP, TPMP). Incubation with these molecules did not greatly affect cell viability of primary human skin fibroblasts (PHSFs) from healthy individuals and a patient with Leigh Syndrome (LS). Unexpectedly, MitoE10, MitoQ10 and decylTPP reduced the levels and activity of the first oxidative phosphorylation complex (complex I or CI) and of the amount of  CI+CIII-containing OXPHOS super complexes. Functionally, these effects were associated with reduced cellular oxygen consumption rates, increased extracellular acidification rates , a less negative mitochondrial membrane potential (deltaPSI), a decreased mitochondrial size and elevated levels of hydroethidine-oxidizing ROS. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MitoE10, MitoQ10 and decylTPP lower the levels of CI and CI-containing super complexes in PHSFs, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and glycolytic switch induction.

Targeting Microbiota 2021 Congress
October 20-22, 2021 - Paris, France & Online
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

Programmable Synthetic Gene Switches for Mitochondrial Gene Modulation

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Ganesh-Pandian-NamasivayamProf. Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam from Kyoto University, Institute for Advanced Study, Japan, will join the Targeting Mitochondria 2021 congress and will present his research on "Deleting DNA to Treat Mitochondrial Diseases".

According to his latest studies, mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial diseases characterized by abnormal mitochondrial function. Although eliminating mutated mtDNA has the potential to cure mitochondrial diseases, no chemical-based drugs in clinical trials are capable of selective modulation of mtDNA mutations. In his presentation, Prof. Ganesh discusses the progress and therapeutic prospects of  synthetic gene switches that can be programmed for targeted elimination of mutated mtDNA through sequence-specific adenine alkylation.

 

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

Comprehensive Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Mitochondrial Stress as a Central Biological Hub for Spaceflight Impact

Afshin BeheshtiDr. Afshin Beheshti, from the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, USA will join us this year to present his recent findings on "Comprehensive Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Mitochondrial Stress as a Central Biological Hub for Spaceflight Impact".

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Berlin & Virtual Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

 

 

 

Scientific Award of Targeting Mitochondria 2021

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Alessandro Prigione AwardAt the end of Targeting Mitochondria 2021, the scientific committee awarded Prof. Alessandro Prigione for his presentation about "Patient-Specific Brain Organoids for Modeling Mitochondrial Diseases"

Alessandro Prigione is a tenured Associate Professor of Pediatric Metabolic Medicine at the Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology at Heinrich Heine University (HHU) in Düsseldorf Germany.

The interest of the Prigione group is to develop induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-based approaches for disease modeling and drug discovery of rare incurable neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders affecting mitochondrial metabolism. A specific focus is on Leigh syndrome, which is the most severe mitochondrial disease affecting children. His latest work (Inak et al Nature Communications 2021) employed human neurons and brain organoids from patients with Leigh syndrome to dissect the neuronal-specific disease mechanisms and led to the identification of novel disease targets and interventions.

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Interactive Online Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

Best Poster Presentation Awards 2021

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19 Posters were presented during Targeting Mitochondria 2021 (held on October 27-29 2021).

 

Nominated Posters for the Awards of the Best Poster Presentation 2021:

Using Polypeptide-Based Nanoconjugates as Mitochondrially-Targeted Drug Delivery Platforms
Camilla Pegoraro, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Spain

Disease Causing-MFN2 Mutations Alter Mitochondrial Fusion and Fission Dynamics in Mouse Embryonic Fibroblast
Daniel Lagos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

The Mitochondrial Network is Altered in Friedreich’s Ataxia Cardiomyopathy
Bojjibabu Chidipi, University of South Florida, United States of America

The Mitochondrial NME6 Protein is Enzymatically Inactive but Interacts with RCC1L (WBSCR16) in the Matrix Space
Bastien Proust, Ruder Boskovic Institute, Croatia

Functional Characterization of Platelet-Derived Mitochondria-Containing Microparticles in Breast Cancer
Vanessa Veilleux, Université de Moncton, Canada

OPA1 Disease-Causing Mutants Alter Mitochondrial Nucleoid Dynamics
Josefa Macuada, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

 


 

The winners of the Best Poster Presentation Awards - Targeting Mitochondria 2021

Award #1: 

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Vanessa Veilleux AwardFunctional Characterization of Platelet-Derived Mitochondria-Containing Microparticles in Breast Cancer, Vanessa Veilleux, Université de Moncton, Canada

"Participating at this international conference was a great experience and broaden my knowledge of mitochondrial research. Having the desire and the deep ambition to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge, I’m looking forward to the next Targeting Mitochondria"

  Award #2: 

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Camilla Pegoraro AwardUsing Polypeptide-Based Nanoconjugates as Mitochondrially-Targeted Drug Delivery Platforms, Camilla Pegoraro, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Spain

“My Ph.D. project aims to develop novel polypeptide-based carriers that permit targeted drug delivery to mitochondria as a novel breast cancer treatment strategy. We successfully developed several cationic polypeptide-based candidate carriers, and our preliminary results have provided robust evidence for specific mitochondrial colocalization. Our next steps involve the conjugation of bioactive agents of interest to our candidate polypeptide-based carriers, their exhaustive characterization, and their therapeutic evaluation in relevant breast cancer models and possibly other indications.”

 Award #3: 

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Chidipi AwardThe Mitochondrial Network is Altered in Friedreich’s Ataxia Cardiomyopathy, Bojjibabu Chidipi, University of South Florida, United States of America

"I am currently investigating the mechanisms of cardiomyopathy in Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), an autosomal recessive congenital neurodegenerative disease caused by a deficiency in the frataxin protein. Interestingly, most FA patients are diagnosed with left ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and 60% of patients die with HCM. We recently found that the mitochondrial fission protein (DRP1) expression is significantly decreased, reactive oxygen species are increased, and the mitochondrial membrane potential is depolarized in human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hIPSC-CM) from patients with FA-HCM. My future prospects are to explore the mechanistic links between DRP1, mitochondrial dysfunction and HCM in FA."

 


Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Interactive Online Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

Best Short Oral Presentation Award 2021

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Out of 23 short oral presentations communicated during Targeting Mitochondria 2021 (held on October 27-29 2021), the scientific committee selected 4 presentations for the Awards of the Best Short Oral Presentation 2021.

Nomination for the Best Short Oral Presentation Award

Novel Cytotoxic Compounds Targeting Mitochondria
Alaa Al Assi
, Université Grenoble Alpes, France

Transplantation of Muscle Stem Cell-Derived Mitochondria Rejuvenates the Bioenergetic Function of Aged Host Muscle
Young Charles Jang, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Impact on Mitochondrial Function by Increased Levels of Mitochondrial RNA Polymerase
Inge Kuhl, Université Paris-Saclay, France

Cross Talk of Mitochondrial Calcification and Inflammation in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells: Implications for Calcinosis
Bhargavi
 Duvvuri, University of Washington, USA

 


The Winner of the Best Short Oral Presentation Award

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Young Jang AwardTransplantation of Muscle Stem Cell-Derived Mitochondria Rejuvenates the Bioenergetic Function of Aged Host Muscle
Young Charles Jang, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Young Charles Jang commenting on his vision for next year: "For the upcoming year, we will continue to do research on how transplanted mitochondria establish mitochondrial-nuclear genomic communication and how aging and oxidative stress alter these interactions."

Targeting Mitochondria 2021 Congress
October 27-29, 2021 - Interactive Online Congress
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

 

Winners of the Best Mitochondria Image 2021

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The winners of the Best Mitochondria Image 2021 have been chosen.

1st Place Winner - Midnight Mitochondrial Ghost

Midnight Mitochondrial Ghost

Adelheid Weidinger, from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, Austria

Midnight Mitochondrial GhostHuman amniotic epithelial cells incubated with Fe-nanoclusters


2nd Place Winner - A Gift

A Gift

Bianka Porubská, from Charles University, Prague

 

A Gift: Sertoli cell transferig MitoTrackerCMXROS (red) mitochondria to immune cell (CD45, green), Nuclei DAPI (blue)

 

 


3rd Place Winner - Mito-Tree

Mito-Tree

Simon Licht-Mayer, from the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, Austria

 

Mito-Tree: Live image of the mitochondrial network in a Purkinje cell, including the cell body, axon and huge dendritic tree.


You can see all nominated pictures for the Best Mitochondria Image 2021 here.

 


 

Submit a memorable Mitochondria Image you’ve taken this past year and get the chance to win a free registration for the next congress!

Submit your pictures for Best Mitochondria Image 2022.

Call for Abstracts & Innovations

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This call is addressed to all the scientists, academics, and industrials out there!

The Scientific Committee of the World Mitochondria Society &  Targeting Mitochondria Congress are pleased to invite you to present your most recent findings in the mitochondria field-  during the 13th World Mitochondria Society Annual Meeting on October 26-28, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

Important dates for this international meeting:

  • Deadline for Short Oral Submission: October 9, 2022
  • Deadline for Poster Submission: October 15, 2022

To know more about the abstracts submission process, please click here.
Be careful not to miss the deadlines!

Buttons-abstract-submission


WSM logoTargeting Mitochondria 2022 Congress
October 26-28, 2022 - Berlin, Germany 
www.targeting-mitochondria.com

Mitochondria in the Press & Media

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