Mitochondria-Targeting Therapies in Parkinson’s Disease Are Focus of Free Webinar

The online Parkinson’s disease community GeneFo and Greg Macpherson, MitoQ‘s CEO, will conduct a free webinar on Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. EST, to shed light on the latest results of mitochondria-targeting therapies and what the future might bring to patients suffering from Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

In the webinar, titled “Mitochondria Antioxidants: Can They Help With Cell Health, Energy Levels, Motor and Cognitive Functions,” participants will present and discuss the most up-to-date results of clinical trials testing mitochondria-targeting therapies conducted in research centers like the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Mayo clinic, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Mitochondria, often known as the cell’s powerhouse, are tiny organeles within our cells responsible for producing most of the cell’s energy. Given their vital role in cellular function, it is not surprising that mitochondria malfunctions contribute to a variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s.

When the mitochondria do not function properly, small toxic substances — called reactive oxygen species (ROS) — are formed, which compromise the function of other cellular compartments through a phenomenon called oxidative stress.

In Parkinson’s, mitochondria malfunction and oxidative stress are thought to be involved in the loss of dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that therapies targeting mitochondrial function, and antioxidants that eliminate ROS, could have promise in preventing and treating Parkinson’s.

Clinical trials investigating several of these therapies, however, have shown considerable variability among individuals affected by neurological diseases, fueling the debate whether mitochondria-based therapies are the way to go when targeting Parkinson’s.

The results from these studies highlight the complexity of targeting oxidative stress and how each disease may require a tailored, mitochondria-based therapy.

Those who wish to attend the free webinar can register on the GeneFo signup page. Upon registration, all participants will receive a 20 percent discount code, applicable to all MitoQ products.