Hi, again! I am not exactly on assignment for this piece. More responding to a couple of messages we received from a Facebook member. She was expressing excitement over new research on mitochondria. Lin and I knew little to nothing about this line of inquiry and I decided to look a little more closely.
Mitochondria. I have defined this word before and will do it again here. First of all, mitochondria contain their own DNA. This DNA is different from the rest of the DNA in your body. Why? Thank you for asking. The reason is this: the DNA in the nuclei of your cells comes from both parents. The mitochondrial DNA comes only from your mother and your grandmother and your great-grandmother and so on into the recesses of history. Sort of neat when you think about it. Anyway, the head of a sperm is 23 chromosomes packed into this itsy, little package. Nothing else in there. The egg, on the other hand, is relatively massive. The egg contains all of the parts cells have. This includes mitochondria. Ergo, your mitochondria is the same as every female in your mother’s direct female lineage. It can also be found in the male children of these women. In other words, when it comes to mitochondria, girls rule!
And mitochondria don’t have any old, little job. Every cell in your body, and by extension you, is alive because of the tireless work being done by the mitochondria. Mitochondria are described as the powerhouses of the cell. It is their job to mix oxygen with nutrients and produce ATP, adenosine triphosphate. ATP is the fuel for the cell. No, ATP, cells die. Cells die; you die. Thank mitochondria for your life.
Mitochondria also do other things. In Mitochondria and the Many Disorders That Compose Mitochondrial Disease they reported mitochondria have other duties tied to the specialized duties of the cell in which they are lodged and these duties change as we age. It is these other functions of the mitochondria that can lead to problems.
All of which is a rather long-winded way of saying it is looking more and more like some eye disorders are related to mitochondria malfunctions. Age-related Macular Degeneration might just be one of them.
Back in 2015 when the above mentioned piece was published in Mitochondrial Disease News, they cited work being done by a company named Stealth. Stealth was working on Ocuvia, this was a topical treatment for back-of-the-eye diseases such as AMD. Although only tried in non-clinical trials (read “rat lab”), Ocuvia was hoped to have a protective function for mitochondria. The medication was hoped to be able to deal with excessive oxidative stress and decreased energy supplies to the cells of the eye.
In the words of Artie Johnson (Laugh-in, 1968 to 1973), “very interesting.”
Lin gave me a couple of articles to look at concerning what Stealth is doing now. It would appear they are following this course of inquiry and looking for ways to treat mitochondria and AMD. Get back to you later on that. Bye!
Written December 12th, 2018