Our cells’ leaky batteries – mitochondria – seem to drive inflammation

“Leaky” mitochondria (the powerhouses of our cells) can drive harmful inflammation responsible for diseases such rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Sophisticated imaging techniques reveal that genetic material can escape from mitochondria and prompt the body to launch a damaging immune response. By developing therapies to target this process, doctors may one day be able to stop the harmful inflammation and prevent the toll it takes on our bodies. The new findings are published in Nature Cell Biology.

Researcher Dr Laura Newman who is involved in the new study comments:

“When mitochondria don’t correctly replicate their genetic material, they try to eliminate it. However, if this is happening too often and the cell can’t dispose of all of it, it can cause inflammation, and too much inflammation can lead to disease, including autoimmune and chronic diseases. Now that we are beginning to understand how this inflammation starts, we might be able to prevent this process, with the ultimate goal of limiting inflammation and treating disease.”

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