Mitochondrial Diseases

Methods in Toxicology, Volume 2: Mitochondrial Dysfunction provides a source of methods, techniques, and experimental approaches for studying the role of abnormal mitochondrial function in cell injury. The book discusses the methods for the preparation and basic functional assessment of mitochondria from liver, kidney, muscle, and brain; the methods for assessing mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo and in intact organs; and the structural aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction are addressed. The text also describes chemical detoxification and metabolism as well as specific metabolic reactions that are especially important targets or indicators of damage. The methods for measurement of alterations in fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism and for the analysis and manipulation of oxidative injury and antioxidant systems are also considered. The book further tackles additional methods on mitochondrial energetics and transport processes; approaches for assessing impaired function of mitochondria; and genetic and developmental aspects of mitochondrial disease and toxicology. The text also looks into mitochondrial DNA synthesis, covalent binding to mitochondrial DNA, DNA repair, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the context of developing individuals and cellular differentiation. Microbiologists, toxicologists, biochemists, and molecular pharmacologists will find the book invaluable.

Mitochondrial cytopathies are mutations in the inherited maternal mitochondrial genome, or the nuclear DNA-mutation. Mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders (RCD) are a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous diseases, due to the fact that protein components of the respiratory chain are encoded by both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes and are essential in all cells. In addition, the biogenesis, structure and function of mitochondria, including DNA replication, transcription, and translation, all require nuclear encoded genes. Since mitochondria are present in every cell, every tissue, mitochondrial disorder usually affects multiple organs.

The field of Mitochondrial Medicine has been dominated by symptom constellation-based diagnostic categorization since the first clinical syndrome was described three decades ago. Now, as rapidly expanding knowledge has revealed that mitochondrial diseases may result from several hundred distinct gene disorders with extensive clinical and mutation heterogeneity, the most useful guide for clinical care and research embraces a gene-centric approach to each individual's disorder. Together with international colleagues, Dr. Marni Falk has developed the Mitochondrial Disease Sequence Data Resource (MSeqDR), an online, community curated, centralized data resource of mitochondrial disease data from a genomic perspective. MSeqDR provides tens of thousands of users with interactive access to mitochondrial disease feature descriptions in a defined human phenotype ontology, mitochondrial proteome-based gene and variant curation, and a suite of easily accessible tools to facilitate analysis of complex genomic datasets in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes as well as accurate interpretation of mitochondrial disease genes, variants, and diseases. Here, in the Mitochondrial Disease Genes Compendium, Dr. Marni Falk and a team of international experts have built off their work on MSeqDR to provide an all-in-one, readily accessible, and easy-to-use at point of care reference on mitochondrial disease from a gene-based perspective. In this book, clinicians and researchers will find a complete overview of mitochondrial disease genes relevant across all specialties, cataloging and building context around clinical features and the genetic basis of each condition. Within, each "gene page" offers an in-depth, referenced view of the relevant clinical disease spectrum, including gene and protein descriptions, year discovered, inheritance pattern(s), age ranges affected, major clinical features and severity range, clinical pearls, known therapies, available support groups, animal models, and gene-specific basic, translational, or clinical research activities now underway. Links provided on each gene page direct readers to MSeqDR for new findings, up-to-date genomic variant data, and user friendly informatics tools accessible to general clinicians and sophisticated geneticists or bioinformaticians alike, ensuring access to updated information on each condition. Covering 256 mitochondrial disease genes that have been expert-curated to assure they cause human diseases and have known mitochondrial localization or impact mitochondrial function, the Mitochondrial Disease Genes Compendium is directed at clinicians and researchers, facilitating bedside access to high-level, curated knowledge on mitochondrial disease genetics that rapidly enables patient diagnosis, counseling, management, treatment, and research. Provides a readily intelligible, all-in-one reference of known mitochondrial disease genes and their associated conditions Features live links to Mitochondrial Disease Sequence Data Resource (MSeqDR) pages with regularly updated genetic variant data and bioinformatics tools Covers the inheritance patterns, age spectrum affected, major clinical features, therapeutics, support groups, and research currently under way for over 250 mitochondrial diseases

Mitochondria are crucial organelles for any cell type. Mitochondria take responsibility for not only energy production but also regulation of cell death, also called apoptosis; calcium storage; and heat production. Therefore, mitochondrial disease is implicated in the mode of action of many harmful factors for cells such as drugs and environmental contaminants, dysfunction of the oxygen transport system, malnutrition, intense exercise, and genetic variations. This book presents up-to-date knowledge about mitochondrial disease and its complex relation to some diseases such as cardiac failure, cancer, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This book will, therefore, be essential for readers who are interested in life sciences, especially in medicine.

Mitochondrial Disorders in Neurology provides an overview of mitochondrial diseases. This book discusses the effects of mitochondrial dysfunction based on the relevant biochemistry and molecular genetics. The abnormal muscle and mitochondrial morphology in a variety of clinical presentations from isolated ophthalmoplegia to severe encephalopathy are also elaborated. This text likewise deliberates Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, neurodegenerative disorders, and respiratory chain defects. Other topics covered include mitochondrial DNA and the genetics of mitochondrial disease; cytochrome oxidase deficiency; use of tissue culture in the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease; and advances in mitochondrial genetics. This publication is a good source for clinicians and students concerned with the defective mitochondrial function.

Mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) are designed to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diseases from mother to child. While MRTs, if effective, could satisfy a desire of women seeking to have a genetically related child without the risk of passing on mtDNA disease, the technique raises significant ethical and social issues. It would create offspring who have genetic material from two women, something never sanctioned in humans, and would create mitochondrial changes that could be heritable (in female offspring), and therefore passed on in perpetuity. The manipulation would be performed on eggs or embryos, would affect every cell of the resulting individual, and once carried out this genetic manipulation is not reversible. Mitochondrial Replacement Techniques considers the implications of manipulating mitochondrial content both in children born to women as a result of participating in these studies and in descendants of any female offspring. This study examines the ethical and social issues related to MRTs, outlines principles that would provide a framework and foundation for oversight of MRTs, and develops recommendations to inform the Food and Drug Administration's consideration of investigational new drug applications.

Mitochondrial Case Studies: Underlying Mechanisms and Diagnosis offers the science behind mitochondrial disease with a case studies approach. Since mitochondrial diseases are diverse and influenced by genetic, environmental, and social-economic factors, this publication will help students, physicians, scientists, health care students, and families recognize and accurately diagnose mitochondrial disease and learn about potential treatments. Reviews case studies as a helpful teaching tool to increase awareness and improve diagnosis Provides information on underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial disease Includes basic mitochondrial dysfunction research through patient case studies to best illustrate the entire disease process

Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly being recognized as the basis of a wide variety of human diseases. Providing an authoritative update on our current knowledge of mitochondrial medicine, this text draws together world authorities from various fields to present general therapeutic strategies, as well as the treatments presently available in different specialties - thus making it essential reading for clinicians involved with the management of patients with mitochondrial diseases. A unique work, this text covers a range of specialties, including cardiology, ophthalmology, otology, nephrology, gastroenterology, hematology-oncology, and reproductive medicine, and does not focus exclusively on the more commonly known neurologic conditions. An accessible, user-friendly text, it also presents translational concepts of mitochondrial biogenesis and genetics in vignettes related to specific questions raised by the disease under discussion, rather than concentrating on basic science, which can often intimidate clinicians. This pioneering work is primarily directed to a clinical audience who are interested in the diverse and diagnostically challenging clinical presentations of mitochondrial diseases and their pathophysiology.