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Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations frequently cause neurological diseases. Modeling of these defects has been difficult because of the challenges associated with engineering mtDNA. We show here that neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) retain the parental mtDNA profile and exhibit a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation. NPCs derived in this way from patients carrying a deleterious homoplasmic mutation in the mitochondrial gene MT-ATP6 (m.9185T>C) showed defective ATP production and abnormally high mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), plus altered calcium homeostasis, which represents a potential cause of neural impairment. High-content screening of FDA-approved drugs using the MMP phenotype highlighted avanafil, which we found was able to partially rescue the calcium defect in patient NPCs and differentiated neurons. Overall, our results show that iPSC-derived NPCs provide an effective model for drug screening to target mtDNA disorders that affect the nervous system.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2016.12.013 | DOI Listing |
Metabolomics
September 2025
Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France.
Introduction: The definition of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) does not take into account a preclinical phase during which the thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) is increased, prior to optic nerve atrophy, reducing the chances of visual recovery.
Objectives: Search for a metabolomic signature characterizing this preclinical phase and identify biomarkers predicting the risk of LHON onset.
Methods And Results: The blood and tear metabolomic profiles of 90 asymptomatic LHON mutation carriers followed for one year will be explored as a function of RNFL thickness and compared to those of a healthy control.
Hum Genet
September 2025
College of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Medical School, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China.
Recessive variants in TWNK cause syndromes arising from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. Hearing loss is the most prevalent manifestation in individuals with these disorders. However, the clinical and pathophysiological features have not been fully elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hum Genet
September 2025
Center for Medical Genetics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
In standard short-read whole-exome sequencing (WES), capture probes are typically designed to target the protein-coding regions (CDS), and regions outside the exons-except for adjacent intronic sequences-are rarely sequenced. Although the majority of known pathogenic variants reside within the CDS as nonsynonymous variants, some disease-causing variants are located in regions that are difficult to detect by WES alone, such as deep intronic variants and structural variants, often requiring whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for detection. Moreover, WES has limitations in reliably identifying pathogenic variants within mitochondrial DNA or repetitive regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Genet
August 2025
Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Background: Prostatic diseases, consisting of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer (PCa), pose significant health challenges. While single-omics studies have provided valuable insights into the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in prostatic diseases, integrating multi-omics approaches is essential for uncovering disease mechanisms and identifying therapeutic targets.
Methods: A genome-wide meta-analysis was conducted for prostatic diseases using the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from FinnGen and UK Biobank.
Front Pediatr
August 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Background: The m.3243A>G mutation in the MT-TL1 gene is the most common mtDNA mutation. The mutation can lead to a spectrum of conditions, including diabetes, hearing loss, heart and muscle involvement, encephalopathy and epilepsy, gastrointestinal problems, and vision impairment, often occurring concurrently-collectively referred to as MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) syndrome.
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