Powering prescription: Mitochondria as "Living Drugs" - Definition, clinical applications, and industry advancements.

Mitochondria's role as engines and beacons of metabolism and determinants of cellular health is being redefined through their therapeutic application as "Living Drugs" (LDs). Artificial mitochondrial transfer/transplant (AMT/T), encompassing various techniques to modify, enrich, or restore mitochondria in cells and tissues, is revolutionizing acellular therapies and the future of medicine. This article proposes a necessary definition for LDs within the Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products (ATMPs) framework. While recognizing different types of LDs as ATMPs, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells, we focus on mitochondria due to their unique attributes that distinguish them from traditional cell therapies. These attributes include their inherent living nature, diverse sources, industry applicability, validation, customizability for therapeutic needs, and their capability to adapt and respond within recipient cells. We trace the journey from initial breakthroughs in AMT/T to the current state-of-the-art applications by emerging innovative companies, highlighting the need for manufacturing standards to navigate the transition of mitochondrial therapies from concept to clinical practice. By providing a comprehensive overview of the scientific, clinical, and commercial landscape of mitochondria as LDs, this article contributes to the essential dialogue among regulatory agencies, academia, and industry to shape their future in medicine.

Scientific venturing for early-stage professionals (ESPs), a key concept in the innovation ecosystem.

Early-stage professionals (ESPs) and senior scientists who want to transition from academia to the industry need support to develop new skills and know-how to endeavor this challenge. However, this topic is significantly underserved in the field of cell and gene therapy, slowing down ESPs' potential to make this step. The authors of this article, members of the ESPs in the South and Central America Subcommittee at the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy, propose the concept of "scientific venturing," which stands for the process by which scientists become entrepreneurs or part of a company. In our article, we provide key aspects to understand this concept, considering key personality traits that need to be developed and a discussion about the "innovation ecosystem." Later, we consider how scientific venturing may result in an increase in difficulty in nascent innovation ecosystems such as Latin America, in comparison with those more advanced and mature in high-income countries. Finally, we provide key information for the ESPs and other professionals about the stages of private and public investment, including information about the resources needed for the sustainability of companies and startups. Understanding what scientific venturing involves for ESPs is key to taking advantage of the maturity of an innovation ecosystem, its network, and available opportunities.

A new hope: Mitochondria, a critical factor in the war against prions.

Prion diseases encompass a group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders that occur due to the misfolding and aggregation of infectious proteins. The most well-known prion diseases are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as mad cow disease), and kuru. It is estimated that around 1-2 persons per million worldwide are affected annually by prion disorders. Infectious prion proteins propagate in the brain, clustering in the cells and rapidly inducing tissue degeneration and death. Prion disease alters cell metabolism and energy production damaging mitochondrial function and dynamics leading to a fast accumulation of damage. Dysfunction of mitochondria could be considered as an early precursor and central element in the pathogenesis of prion diseases such as in sporadic CJD. Preserving mitochondria function may help to resist the rapid spread and damage of prion proteins and even clearance. In the war against prions and other degenerative diseases, studying how to preserve the function of mitochondria by using antioxidants and even replacing them with artificial mitochondrial transfer/transplant (AMT/T) may bring a new hope and lead to an increase in patients' survival. In this perspective review, we provide key insights about the relationship between the progression of prion disease and mitochondria, in which understanding how protecting mitochondria function and viability by using antioxidants or AMT/T may help to develop novel therapeutic interventions.

The war against Alzheimer, the mitochondrion strikes back!

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading neurodegenerative pathology associated with aging worldwide. It is estimated that AD prevalence will increase from 5.8 million people today to 13.8 million by 2050 in the United States alone. AD effects in the brain are well known; however, there is still a lack of knowledge about the cellular mechanisms behind the origin of AD. It is known that AD induces cellular stress affecting the energy metabolism in brain cells. During the pathophysiological advancement of AD, damaged mitochondria enter a vicious cycle, producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), harming mitochondrial DNA and proteins, leading to more ROS and cellular death. Additionally, mitochondria are interconnected with the plaques formed by amyloid-ß in AD and have underlying roles in the progression of the disease and severity. For years, the biomedical field struggled to develop new therapeutic options for AD without a significant advancement. However, mitochondria are striking back existing outside cells in a new mechanism of intercellular communication. Extracellular mitochondria are exchanged from healthy to damaged cells to rescue those with a perturbed metabolism in a process that could be applied as a new therapeutic option to repair those brain cells affected by AD. In this review we highlight key aspects of mitochondria's role in CNS' physiology and neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on AD. We also suggest how mitochondria strikes back as a therapeutic target and as a potential agent to be transplanted to repair neurons affected by AD.

Long-acting reversible contraceptives effects in abnormal uterine bleeding, a review of the physiology and management.

Around two-thirds of women who are of reproductive age use some type of contraception. Two of the most effective long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) are the intrauterine device (IUD) and the subdermal contraceptive implant (SCI). Despite their effectiveness, women often report abnormal uterine bleeding as the reason for discontinuation. In this review, we analyze key aspects regarding the mechanisms of action of IUDs (both copper-containing and levonorgestrel-releasing) and SCIs, as well as how they change the intrauterine environment in order to provide effective contraception at a physiological level. Additionally, we introduce the pathophysiology of different types of abnormal intrauterine bleeding provoked by the mentioned LARCs. These three contraceptive methods work in diverse ways, thus, the etiology of abnormal uterine bleeding is different and multifactorial according to each LARC. This review intends to provide information in order to better our understanding of bleeding induced by these contraceptive methods, as well as introduce current and potential new therapies. Furthermore, this review intends to provide updated and concise information that could be available firsthand not only to health care providers but scientists who are innovating and revolutionizing this field. In 2013, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a management of abnormal uterine bleeding, however, there is limited updated data regarding the physiology and pathophysiology of abnormal uterine bleeding and its treatment based on different LARCs (hormonal and non-hormonal).

Fighting Parkinson's disease: The return of the mitochondria.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, worldwide. PD neuro-energetically affects the extrapyramidal system, by the progressive loss of striatal dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to motor impairment. During the progression of PD, there will be an increase in mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), stress and accumulation of α-synuclein in neurons. This results in mitochondrial mutations altering their function and fission-fusion mechanisms and central nervous system (CNS) degeneration. Intracellular mitochondrial dysfunction has been studied for a long time in PD due to the decline of mitochondrial dynamics inside neurons. Mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) have been known to contribute to several CNS pathologies especially PD pathogenesis. New and exciting evidence regarding the exchange of mitochondria between healthy to damaged cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and the therapeutic use of the artificial mitochondrial transfer/transplant (AMT) marked a return of this organelle to develop innovative therapeutic procedures for PD. The focus of this review aims to shed light on the role of mitochondria, both intra and extracellularly in PD, and how AMT could be used to generate new potential therapies in the fight against PD. Moreover, we suggest that mitochondrial therapy could work as a preventative measure, motivating the field to move towards this goal.

Availability and Quality of Grief and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units Around the World, Opportunities for Improvement.

Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) provide multidisciplinary care to critically ill children and their families. Grief is present throughout the trajectory of illness and can peak around the time of death or non-death losses. The objective of this study was to assess how PICUs around the world implement grief and bereavement care (GBC) as part of an integrated model of care. This is a multicenter cross-sectional, prospective survey study. Questionnaires with multiple-choice and open-ended questions focusing on unit infrastructure, personnel, policies, limited patient data, and practices related to GBC for families and health care professionals (HCPs) were completed by on-site researchers, who were HCPs on the direct care of patients. PICU fulfillment of GBC goals was evaluated using a custom scoring based on indicators developed by the Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care (IPPC). We compared average total and individual items fulfillment scores according to the respective country's World Bank income. Patient characteristics and details of unit infrastructure were also evaluated as potential predictors of total GBC fulfillment scores. Statistical analysis included multilevel generalized linear models (GLM) with a Gaussian distribution adjusted by child age/gender and clustering by center, using high income countries (HICs) as the comparative reference. Additionally, we applied principals of content analysis to analyze and summarize open-ended answers to contextualize qualitative data. The study included 34 PICUs from 18 countries: high-income countries (HICs): 32.4%, upper middle-income countries (UMICs): 44.1%, low middle-income and low-income countries (LMI/LICs): 23.5%. All groups reported some compliance with GBC goals; no group reported perfect fulfillment. We found statistically significant differences in GBC fulfillment scores between HICs and UMICs (specifically, HCP grief support), and between HICs and LMICs (specifically, family grief support and HCP grief support). PICUs world-wide provide some GBC, independent of income, but barriers include lack of financial support, time, and training, overall unit culture, presence of a palliative care consultation service, and varying cultural perceptions of child death. Disparities in GBC for families and HCPs exist and were related to the native countries' income level. Identifying barriers to support families and HCPs, can lead to opportunities of improving GBC in PICUs world-wide.

Key points for the development of antioxidant cocktails to prevent cellular stress and damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during manned space missions.

Exposure to microgravity and ionizing radiation during spaceflight missions causes excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that contributes to cellular stress and damage in astronauts. Average spaceflight mission time is expected to lengthen as humanity aims to visit other planets. However, longer missions or spaceflights will undoubtedly lead to an increment in microgravity, ionizing radiation and ROS production. Strategies to minimize ROS damage are necessary to maintain the health of astronauts, future space colonists, and tourists during and after spaceflight missions. An antioxidant cocktail formulated to prevent or mitigate ROS damage during space exploration could help maintain the health of space explorers. We propose key points to consider when developing an antioxidant cocktail. We discuss how ROS damages our body and organs, the genetic predisposition of astronauts to its damage, characteristics and evidence of the effectiveness of antioxidants to combat excess ROS, differences in drug metabolism when on Earth and in space that could modify antioxidant effects, and the characteristics and efficacy of common antioxidants. Based on this information we propose a workflow for assessing astronaut resistance to ROS damage, infight monitoring of ROS production, and an antioxidant cocktail. Developing an antioxidant cocktail represents a big challenge to translate current medical practices from an Earth setting to space. The key points presented in this review could promote the development of different antioxidant formulations to maintain space explorers' health in the future.

Extracellular mitochondria in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): Potential types and key roles in central nervous system (CNS) physiology and pathogenesis.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has an important role in the transport of nutrients and signaling molecules to the central nervous and immune systems through its circulation along the brain and spinal cord tissues. The mitochondrial activity in the central nervous system (CNS) is essential in processes such as neuroplasticity, neural differentiation and production of neurotransmitters. Interestingly, extracellular and active mitochondria have been detected in the CSF where they act as a biomarker for the outcome of pathologies such as subarachnoid hemorrhage and delayed cerebral ischemia. Additionally, cell-free-circulating mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA) has been detected in both the CSF of healthy donors and in that of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Key questions arise as there is still much debate regarding if ccf-mtDNA detected in CSF is associated with a diversity of active or inactive extracellular mitochondria coexisting in distinct pathologies. Additionally, it is of great scientific and medical importance to identify the role of extracellular mitochondria (active and inactive) in the CSF and the difference between them being damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) or factors that promote homeostasis. This review analyzes the different types of extracellular mitochondria, methods for their identification and their presence in CSF. Extracellular mitochondria in the CSF could have an important implication in health and disease, which may lead to the development of medical approaches that utilize mitochondria as therapeutic agents.

The diversity and coexistence of extracellular mitochondria in circulation: A friend or foe of the immune system.

The diversity and coexistence of extracellular mitochondria may have a key role in the maintenance of health and progression of disease. Studies report that active mitochondria can be found physiologically outside of cells and circulating in the blood without inducing an inflammatory response. In addition, inactive or harmed mitochondria have been recognized as activators of immune cells, as they play an essential role in diseases characterized by the metabolic deregulation of these cells, such as sepsis. In this review we analyze key aspects regarding the existence of a diversity of extracellular mitochondria, their coexistence in body fluids and their effects on various immune cells. Additionally, we introduce models of how extracellular mitochondria could be interacting to maintain health and affect disease prognosis. Unwrapped mitochondria (freeMitos) can exist as viable, active, inactive or harmed organelles. Mitochondria can also be found wrapped in a membrane (wrappedMitos) that may differ depending on the cell of origin. Mitochondrial fragments can also be present in various body fluids as DAMPs, as mtDNA enclosed in vesicles or as circulating-cell-free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA). Interestingly, the great quantity of evidence regarding the levels of ccf-mtDNA and their correlation with aging and disease allows for the identification of the diversity, but not type, of extracellular mitochondria. The existence of a diversity of mitochondria and their effects on immune cells opens a new concept in the biomedical field towards the understanding of health, the progression of disease and the development of mitochondria as therapeutic agents.

Comprehensive evaluation of male health in four communities in rural Honduras.

PODEMOS (Partnership for Ongoing Developmental, Educational and Medical Outreach Solutions) has been a long-standing healthcare provider in 4 communities in northern rural Honduras. In this study, we sought to understand and quantify the health challenges faced by men in the rural communities served by PODEMOS in order to improve the way PODEMOS delivers healthcare. Between June and July of 2015, we conducted 104 structured survey interviews with men 18 years and older in rural Honduras. We found that most men face significant economic limitations in their ability to pay for healthcare and health-determining services and due to low formal education levels face health literacy challenges. Furthermore, we found that a quarter are at risk for health problems due to smoking, and the majority are at risk for musculoskeletal problems due to work in strenuous outdoor labor. However, we found that zero respondents drank alcohol heavily, which is defined as more than 14 drinks in one week. Lastly, we found varying opinions on female contraception use. Our findings indicate that medical brigades to the developing world should understand and quantify the relevant health challenges faced by their target populations.