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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Assessing Mitochondrial Function in Sciatic Nerve by High-Resolution Respirometry
Published on: May 5, 2022
Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer
Michelle Barbi de Moura1, Lucas Santana dos Santos, Bennett Van Houten
1Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Abstract:
Mitochondria are important integrators of cellular function and therefore affect the homeostatic balance of the cell. Besides their important role in producing adenosine triphosphate through oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondria are involved in the control of cytosolic calcium concentration, metabolism of key cellular intermediates, and Fe/S cluster biogenesis and contributed to programmed cell death. Mitochondria are also one of the major cellular producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several human pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and increased ROS damage. This article reviews how dysfunctional mitochondria contribute to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and several human cancers.
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