Ninapharm Awarded Dr Yuma Yamada for his Scientific Contribution
Dr Yamada showed the possibility of mitochondrial genome targeting using a Dual Function (DF)-MITO-Porter...
Dr Yuma Yamada, from Laboratory for Molecular Design of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Japan was awarded during Targeting Mitochondria 2011 by Ninapharm for his Scientific Contribution and his work about Mitochondrial genome targeting by DF-MITO-Porter via endosomal and mitochondrial membrane fusion.
Dr Yamada showed the possibility of mitochondrial genome targeting using a Dual Function (DF)-MITO-Porter. The DF-MITO-Porter, an innovative nano carrier for mitochondrial delivery, has the ability to penetrate the endosomal and mitochondrial membranes via step-wise membrane fusion. Our ultimate goal is to develop mitochondrial gene therapy and diagnosis to the point where therapeutic agents function on the mitochondrial genome with experts in the field of mitochondria.
Dr Yamada's Abstract:
Mitochondrial genetic disorders are known as major cause of mitochondrial diseases. It therefore appears likely that mitochondrial gene therapy will be useful and productive for the treatment of various diseases. To achieve such an innovative strategy targeted mitochondrial genome, it will be necessary to deliver therapeutic agents to mitochondria in living cells. We previously developed a Dual Function MITO-Porter (DF-MITO-Porter), an innovative nano carrier for mitochondrial delivery, which has the ability to pass through endosomal and mitochondrial membranes via step-wise membrane fusion [Ref. 1]. Here, we report that the DF-MITO-Porter has the ability to deliver bioactive molecules into the mitochondrial matrix, which contains mtDNA pool. We first constructed DF-MITO-Porter encapsulating DNase I protein as a model bioactive molecule. It is expected that mtDNA would be digested, when the mitochondrial matrix delivery of DNase I proteins progressed.
We measured the mtDNA-levels after delivery of DNase I protein by DF-MITO-Porter. As results, we confirmed that the mitochondrial delivery of DNase I proteins by DF-MITO-Porter could selectively digest mtDNA, and the results suggest potential use of DF-MITO-Porter in therapies aimed
at mitochondrial genome.
