Cardiology Letters 2022, 31(4):229-235

Perspectives of mitochondrial cardiology

Gvozdjáková A

Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Lekárska fakulta, Farmakobiochemické laboratórium III. interná kliniky, Bratislava, Slovenská republika

Mitochondria are small dynamic subcellular particles that, under physiological conditions, provide the required amount of energy for continuous heart muscle function. Dysfunction of mitochondria of the myocardium belongs among the basic molecular mechanisms of the origin and development of cardiovascular diseases. The application of the latest diagnostic procedures and targeted therapy of mitochondrial diseases is a perspective of mitochondrial cardiology. New, noninvasive, diagnostic markers of mitochondrial bioenergetics include high-resolution respirometric analysis of platelet mitochondria or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Taking into account the clinical condition of the patient, the determination of blood cell bioenergetics may represent the mitochondrial health of individual organs. Mitochondrial transplantation is one of the most recent targeted therapies for damaged mitochondria, replacing dysfunctional mitochondria with healthy exogenous mitochondria. Mitochondrial transplantation has perspective therapeutic potential for the treatment of many, including cardiovascular, diseases. The efficacy and safety of mitochondrial transplantation requires additional studies.

Keywords: mitochondrial cardiology; diagnosis; therapy; high-resolution respirometric method; platelets; mitochondrial transplantation

Published: April 1, 2022  Show citation