Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Different Routes to Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy

Mitochondria are dynamic ATP-generating organelle which contribute to many cellular functions including bioenergetics processes, intracellular calcium regulation, alteration of reduction-oxidation potential of cells, free radical scavenging, and activation of caspase mediated cell death. Mitochondri...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pasquale Picone, Domenico Nuzzo, Luca Caruana, Valeria Scafidi, Marta Di Carlo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2014-01-01
Series:Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/780179
Description
Summary:Mitochondria are dynamic ATP-generating organelle which contribute to many cellular functions including bioenergetics processes, intracellular calcium regulation, alteration of reduction-oxidation potential of cells, free radical scavenging, and activation of caspase mediated cell death. Mitochondrial functions can be negatively affected by amyloid β peptide (Aβ), an important component in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, and Aβ can interact with mitochondria and cause mitochondrial dysfunction. One of the most accepted hypotheses for AD onset implicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are one of the primary events in the insurgence of the pathology. Here, we examine structural and functional mitochondrial changes in presence of Aβ. In particular we review data concerning Aβ import into mitochondrion and its involvement in mitochondrial oxidative stress, bioenergetics, biogenesis, trafficking, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) formation, and mitochondrial protein interaction. Moreover, the development of AD therapy targeting mitochondria is also discussed.
ISSN:1942-0900
1942-0994