Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Evaluating the Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer-related Fatigue
08:56

Evaluating the Role of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer-related Fatigue

Published on: May 17, 2018

9.6K

The Role of Mitochondrial Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns in Chronic Neuroinflammation

Ekta Bajwa1, Caitlin B Pointer1, Andis Klegeris1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC, Canada.

Mediators of Inflammation
|May 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Mitochondrial damage releases molecules that trigger inflammation, worsening neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Understanding these mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) is key to new treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders, impairing cellular energy production.
  • Extracellular mitochondrial molecules, termed damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), can trigger immune responses.
  • These DAMPs may drive chronic neuroinflammation, accelerating neuronal degeneration in diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of specific mitochondrial DAMPs in central nervous system disorders.
  • To highlight cytochrome c (CytC), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), and cardiolipin as key players.
  • To explore their contribution to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on mitochondrial DAMPs.
  • Analysis of studies on Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
  • Examination of immune responses involving glial cells (microglia, astrocytes).

Main Results:

  • Mitochondrial DAMPs like CytC, TFAM, and cardiolipin can initiate proinflammatory responses.
  • These responses involve non-neuronal glial cells, contributing to chronic neuroinflammation.
  • This neuroinflammation exacerbates neuronal damage in neurodegenerative conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Mitochondrial DAMPs are significant contributors to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
  • Targeting these molecules may offer therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
  • Further research into mitochondrial DAMPs' roles is crucial for understanding and treating these disorders.

More Related Videos

A Thin-skull Window Technique for Chronic Two-photon In vivo Imaging of Murine Microglia in Models of Neuroinflammation12:07

A Thin-skull Window Technique for Chronic Two-photon In vivo Imaging of Murine Microglia in Models of Neuroinflammation

Published on: September 19, 2010

24.4K
Development of a Mobile Mitochondrial Physiology Laboratory for Measuring Mitochondrial Energetics in the Field08:54

Development of a Mobile Mitochondrial Physiology Laboratory for Measuring Mitochondrial Energetics in the Field

Published on: August 27, 2021

1.8K

Related Concept Videos

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
9.0K
Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes02:16

Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes

The present-day mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes have retained some of the characteristics of their ancestral prokaryotes and also have acquired new attributes during their evolution within eukaryotic cells. Like prokaryotic genomes, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes neither bind with histone-like proteins nor show complex packaging into chromosome-like structures, as observed in eukaryotes. Unlike mitotic cell divisions observed in eukaryotic cells, mitochondria and chloroplasts...
15.6K
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes02:19

Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes

A eukaryotic cell can have up to three different types of genetic systems: nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. During evolution, organelles have exported many genes to the nucleus; this transfer is still ongoing in some plant species. Approximately 18% of the Arabidopsis thaliana nuclear genome is thought to be derived from the chloroplast’s cyanobacterial ancestor, and around 75% of the yeast genome derived from the mitochondria’s bacterial ancestor. This export has occurred...
4.1K
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
17.6K
Molecular Models02:00

Molecular Models

Physical models representing molecular architectures of chemical compounds play essential roles in understanding chemistry. The use of molecular models makes it easier to visualize the structures and shapes of atoms and molecules.
43.6K
Molecular and Ionic Solids02:54

Molecular and Ionic Solids

Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
20.0K