Defective cell 'battery' plays central role in neurodegenerative disease
A devastating neurodegenerative disease that first appears in toddlers just as they are beginning to walk has been traced to defects in mitochondria, the 'batteries' or energy-producing power plants of cells. This finding by a team of researchers, led by investigators from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro- at McGill University, was published in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS). The research, which was highlighted as "Novel & Newsworthy" by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), significantly increases understanding of the disease and reveals an important common link with other neurodegenerative diseases, providing renewed hope and potential new therapeutic strategies for those affected around the world.