MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA and BOSTON, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 07, 2007 -- Mitochondrial diseases, a class of rare and incurable conditions, are believed to result from the failure of mitochondria in the cells to produce a universal energy carrying molecule called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Now research conducted at Melbourne’s LaTrobe University suggests that a signaling problem in the cells is at fault, turning the commonly held theory on its head. The findings have implications for development of drug therapies to treat the many forms of mitochondrial disease as well as for most major neurodegenerative disorders, where mitochondrial dysfunction has been demonstrated to play a central role. These include Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The research will be presented at the BIO2007 conference in a poster to be located in the Innovation Corridor, and a publication is planned in the journal Molecular Biology of the Cell.
