Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have discovered that defective mitochondria, called cellular powerhouses, can trigger devastating inflammation in the body in autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Research results published in the journal Nature Cell Biology
Mitochondria are intracellular organelles of cells whose main function is to produce energy. Mitochondria have their own set of genetic material, separate from DNA, that serves as an “instruction manual” for human cells. Previous research has shown that mitochondrial DNA, known as mtDNA, can enter cells and cause inflammation throughout the body.
In a new scientific study, scientists found that mitochondrial DNA leakage may result from a failure in replication (self-replication). This leads to the accumulation of mtDNA-containing protein masses caused by nucleoids within the mitochondria. To eliminate them, cells with defective mitochondria begin to transfer excess nucleoids to endosomes, which are responsible for the breakdown of “cellular debris”.
Overloading endosomes with such waste can cause immune cells to recognize the leaked nucleotides as pathogens and cause inflammation in the body. Scientists have suggested that low-efficiency mitochondria may also be present in immune cells, causing these cells to mistakenly attack healthy, functioning body cells in autoimmune diseases.
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