The first Mitochondrial Focus Group at the USA College of Medicine was held Nov. 3, 2010. The meeting consisted of an informal presentation of a paper followed by discussion. This week's paper was titled "The innate immune system in host mice targets cells with allogenic mitochondrial DNA."
Dr. Mikhail Alexeyev, assistant professor in the department of cell biology and neuroscience, said there are several benefits of participating in the group. "It gives you the opportunity to broaden your horisons, stay on top of the developments in mitochondrial research, and get exposure to different kinds of expertise," he said.
"USA is the first and the only to develop technology for the controlled mutagenesis of mitochondrial DNA, which allows us to generate lab models for mitochondrial disease," Dr. Alexeyev said. "However, the scope of the focus group is much wider than just mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and aging."
Dr. Alexeyev said the group is still in the process of gauging interest, but the initial plan is for the focus group to meet every other week.
To read more about the paper that was discussed at this week's meeting, click here. For more information about the Mitochondrial Focus Group, call the department of cell biology and neuroscience at (251) 460-6490.
