Mitochondria: Central Regulators of Cellular Health and Disease

Abstract

The mitochondria are integral organelles found in eukaryotic cells which are recognized mainly for the production of ATP via oxidative phosphorylation. While their prominent role pertains to energy production, they also serve to control significant cellular processes like the maintenance of calcium homeostasis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, apoptosis, and the biosynthesis of crucial metabolites. Their structure, which includes double membranes, cristae, and a matrix containing its own DNA, has been used to trace its evolutionary lineage to bacteria. The mitochondria possesses an inefficient DNA repair system which leads to its  mutation rate being 10 times greater than that of nuclear DNA^[54].  These defects give rise to a host of rare diseases including genetic diseases (such as MELAS and Leigh syndrome), some neurodegenerative disorders (like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s), metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, and aged deterioration. Some recent therapeutic developments, including mitochondrial replacement therapy and gene editing, hold great potential for treating disorders associated with mitochondria, but ethical and technical difficulties still persist.