Exploring the therapeutic potential of MOTS-c in age-related macular degeneration: from cellular responses to patient-derived cybrids
Hum Cell. 2025 Feb 17;38(2):57. doi: 10.1007/s13577-025-01188-w. ABSTRACT Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the US, is on the rise among the elderly. Uncontrolled mitochondria-derived peptide production from mtDNA disruption and 16S or 12S rRNA damage could worsen AMD. Our previous work has shown that Humanin G possesses cytoprotective […]
Relevance of mitochondrial morphological changes in keratoconus patients undergoing collagen cross-linking and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty
Hum Cell. 2025 Feb 17;38(2):56. doi: 10.1007/s13577-025-01184-0. ABSTRACT Keratoconus (KC) is characterised by corneal stromal thinning and irregular astigmatism, resulting in diminution of vision. Underlying aetiology remains poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests dysregulation of oxidative balance and mitochondrial function in KC corneas. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the morphology of mitochondria in the corneal […]
Activated mTOR Signaling in the RPE Drives EMT, Autophagy, and Metabolic Disruption, Resulting in AMD-Like Pathology in Mice
Aging Cell. 2025 Feb 17:e70018. doi: 10.1111/acel.70018. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1/2) are crucial for various physiological functions. Although the role of mTORC1 in retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) homeostasis and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis is established, the function of mTORC2 remains unclear. We […]
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Surv Ophthalmol. 2025 Feb 14:S0039-6257(25)00025-6. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2025.01.011. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT A previously healthy 15-year-old Asian boy presented with progressive bilateral painless vision loss, dyschromatopsia and visual field defects. Optical coherence tomography showed diffuse retinal nerve fiber layer thinning. Work-up including neuroimaging, lab testing for acquired bilateral optic atrophy, extensive mitochondrial and nuclear genetic […]
ZLN005, a PGC-1alpha agonist, delays photoreceptor degeneration by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis in a murine model of retinitis pigmentosa
Neuropharmacology. 2025 Feb 12:110361. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110361. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of photoreceptors caused by mutations in various genes. Increasing evidence suggests that mitochondrial biogenesis plays a critical role in many neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigated the role of mitochondrial biogenesis in rd1 […]
Disruption of mitochondrial homeostasis and permeability transition pore opening in OPA1 iPSC-derived retinal ganglion cells
Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2025 Feb 13;13(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s40478-025-01942-z. ABSTRACT Dominant optic atrophy (DOA) is the most common inherited optic neuropathy, characterised by the selective loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Over 60% of DOA cases are caused by pathogenic variants in the OPA1 gene, which encodes a dynamin-related GTPase protein. OPA1 plays a key role […]
A Polytherapy Intervention in an Experimental Traumatic Optic Neuropathy Mouse Model
Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2025 Feb 13. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002917. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To test a novel early polytherapy treatment strategy targeting mitochondrial bioenergetics, glutamate excitotoxicity, and sterile inflammatory response molecular pathways associated with retinal ganglion cell survival following optic nerve trauma. METHODS: Twenty C57BL/6J mice were subjected to sonication-induced traumatic optic neuropathy […]
High-Glucose-Induced Metabolic and Redox Alterations Are Distinctly Modulated by Various Antidiabetic Agents and Interventions Against FABP5/7, MITF and ANGPTL4 in Melanoma A375 Cells
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jan 24;26(3):1014. doi: 10.3390/ijms26031014. ABSTRACT Hyperglycemia-induced effects on cellular metabolic properties and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma (MM). This study assessed how metabolic states, ROS production, and related gene expression are modulated by antidiabetic agents. The anti-diabetic agents metformin (Met) and […]
A Dynamic Deferoxamine Polymer with Exceptional Performance in Mitochondrial Iron Depletion and Cytosolic Protein Delivery
Small. 2025 Feb 13:e2412093. doi: 10.1002/smll.202412093. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Deferoxamine (DFO) is an FDA-approved naturally occurring iron chelator commonly used to treat transfusion-induced iron overload. The abundant and flexible hydroxamic acid groups in DFO enable exceptional iron binding capacity and high protein binding via hydrogen bonding interactions. However, the applications of DFO to […]
The Potential Roles of IL-1β, IL-6, and RIPK3 in the Pathogenesis of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 Jan 26;15(3):290. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15030290. ABSTRACT Background/Objectives: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are rare but severe skin conditions, often triggered by medications, that can be life-threatening. These conditions frequently affect the eyes, causing ocular surface disease, which can result in visual impairment or blindness. Although the exact mechanisms behind SJS/TEN remain […]