Mitochondria and reproduction: possibilities for testing and treatment.

Mitochondria and reproduction: possibilities for testing and treatment. Panminerva Med. 2018 Jun 28;: Authors: Kristensen SG, Humaidan P, Coetzee K Abstract Mitochondria, known as the energy factories in all cells, are key regulators of multiple vital cellular processes and affect all aspects of mammalian reproduction, being essential for oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryonic development. Mitochondrial dysfunction is consequently implicated in disease as well as age-related infertility. Since mitochondria are inherited exclusively from the mother, the female gamete is central to reproductive outcome and therapeutic interventions, such as mitochondrial replacement therapies (MRT), and development of new diagnostic tools. The primary purpose of MRT is to improve oocyte quality, embryogenesis and fetal development by correcting the imbalance between mutant and wild-type mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the oocyte or zygote, either by replacing mutant mtDNA or supplementing with wild-type counterparts from heterologous or autologous sources. However, the efficacy and safety of these new technologies have not yet been tested in clinical trials, and various concerns exist. Nonetheless, the perspectives for such procedures are intriguing and include two distinct patient populations that could potentially benefit from the clinical implementation of MRT; (i) patients with mtDNA-disease transmission risk and (ii) patients undergoing IVF w...
Source: Panminerva Medica - Category: General Medicine Tags: Panminerva Med Source Type: research