A Heteroplasmic MT-CO2 m.8024G > A Variant Is Associated with Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Deficiency and Optic Atrophy
Mol Neurobiol. 2026 Mar 4;63(1):485. doi: 10.1007/s12035-026-05774-3. ABSTRACT Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants. While MT-CO2 defects are implicated in neurodegeneration, their direct association with optic atrophy has not been reported. We identify a heteroplasmic MT-CO2 variant, m.8024G > A (p.Glu147Lys), in a patient […]
cGAS-STING signaling in pollution-induced toxicity: mechanism and relieving medication
Apoptosis. 2026 Mar 3;31(3):81. doi: 10.1007/s10495-026-02301-6. ABSTRACT Environmental pollutants have long been a major threat to human health, and long-term or high-concentration exposure can trigger acute or chronic diseases. These hazards often mediate tissue dysfunction and drive disease progression by inducing cell senescence and cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis). In recent years, the […]
Beyond readthrough: ataluren restores mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress in FANCA-mutated cells via mTOR-DRP1 modulation
Cell Death Discov. 2026 Feb 28. doi: 10.1038/s41420-026-02983-6. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by genomic instability, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. While the therapeutic potential of ataluren, a translational readthrough-inducing drug, has been investigated in FA cells carrying nonsense mutations, its broader metabolic […]
Editorial: Proteostasis disruption in neurodegenerative disorders: mechanisms and treatment strategies
Front Mol Neurosci. 2026 Feb 11;19:1796704. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2026.1796704. eCollection 2026. NO ABSTRACT PMID:41756767 | PMC:PMC12932572 | DOI:10.3389/fnmol.2026.1796704
Exercise-Induced Irisin: A Novel Strategy for Neuroinflammation Alleviation and Neurorepair in Diabetic Retinopathy
Int J Mol Sci. 2026 Feb 14;27(4):1849. doi: 10.3390/ijms27041849. ABSTRACT Diabetic retinopathy (DR) stands as a classic microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. DR is characterized by multidimensional pathological changes in retinal neurons, microvasculature and supportive cells, leading to an intricate damage network. It is predominantly marked by neuropathy, encompassing retinal neuronal dysfunction, aberrant activation of […]
Metabolomic Analysis of Aqueous Humor to Predict Glaucoma Progression and Overall Survival After Glaucoma Surgery-The MISO II Study
Metabolites. 2026 Jan 29;16(2):100. doi: 10.3390/metabo16020100. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although advances in understanding glaucoma have been made, early detection remains challenging due to the asymptomatic nature of the disease. The Metabolomics In Surgical Ophthalmological Patients (MISO) study previously demonstrated that aqueous humor (AH) metabolomics can distinguish glaucoma patients from controls. We aimed to determine if the […]
Mitochondrial Resilience in Glaucoma: Targeting NAD(+) Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration with Nicotinamide Riboside and Berberine: Preliminary Clinical Evidence
Diseases. 2026 Feb 2;14(2):56. doi: 10.3390/diseases14020056. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective vulnerability of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), in which mitochondrial dysfunction, redox imbalance, and impaired bioenergetic signaling play central pathogenetic roles. Mitochondrial homeostasis in RGCs critically depends on maintaining intracellular NAD+ pools, which support oxidative phosphorylation, sirtuin-mediated deacetylation, […]
Regulation of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Diabetic Retinopathy
Cells. 2026 Feb 17;15(4):357. doi: 10.3390/cells15040357. ABSTRACT Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a major role in diabetic retinopathy development and in its resistance to halt after the reversal of hyperglycemia (metabolic memory). Diabetes also upregulates many long noncoding RNAs, RNAs with >200 nucleotides with no reading frame, and several of them resist reversal after hyperglycemia cessation. Our […]
mRNA Sequencing of Limbal Epithelial Cells and mRNA/miRNA Profiling of Limbal Stromal Cells in PAX6-Related Congenital Aniridia
Cells. 2026 Feb 13;15(4):340. doi: 10.3390/cells15040340. ABSTRACT The dysfunction of limbal epithelial cells (LECs) and limbal stromal cells (LSCs) in congenital aniridia remains incompletely understood. We aimed to analyze mRNA expression profiles of primary human LECs and LSCs, as well as microRNA (miRNA) expression in LSCs, from patients with congenital aniridia (AN-LECs and AN-LSCs). mRNA […]
Actin depolymerization promotes axon regeneration by restoring axonal mitochondrial transport in mouse models of optic neuropathy
Sci Transl Med. 2026 Feb 25;18(838):eadw0908. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adw0908. Epub 2026 Feb 25. ABSTRACT Adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) axons do not spontaneously regenerate after injury. We recently identified multiple genes that promote optic nerve regeneration, protect retinal ganglion cell (RGC) somata and axons, and preserve visual function in mouse glaucoma models. Here, we investigated […]