How a Metabolite Causes Inflammation and Disease
Published:27 Mar.2023 Source:Universität zu Köln
A new study shows for the first time a connection between a mitochondrial metabolite and the activation of an inflammatory response. Mitochondria are functional units of our cells that fulfil important tasks, i.e. chemical reactions, for the functioning of the cell. One of these tasks is the production of energy that is necessary for cell growth and reproduction.
The research team led by Alexander von Humboldt Professor Dr Christian Frezza, formerly at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) and now at the CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research at the University of Cologne, has now developed a new mouse and cell model together with the research group led by Professor Prudent of the University of Cambridge to deepen the understanding of aggressive kidney cancer. The study titled "Fumarate induces vesicular release of mtDNA to drive innate immunity" was published in Nature.
The research was carried out at the University of Cambridge and the CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research of the University of Cologne. It was funded by Cancer Research UK, the European Research Council, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Medical Research Council. The collaborative research was conducted in the laboratory of Luke O'Neill at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in Dublin, Ireland.