The biomedical research community is pointing out how human beings, constantly face a cellular energy crisis with an impact on the organism as a whole. This is because an individual’s health is influenced by a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic status.
Over the last century, human beings have evolved at a neck-breaking speed. However, it is taking place at a very fast rate, making it difficult for humanity to genetically adapt. This often leads to the failure of energy management processes thus resulting in new pathologies. Cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative or muscle disorders, and cancer are some examples of failed energy management processes. To maintain an individual’s health, the cellular energy metabolism has to be tightly regulated. This is maintained through a series of complex and interconnected components that on the one hand sustain the most efficient production of energy, and on the other hand, controls the production and scavenging of toxic molecular by-products, such as the commonly known free radicals.
Most pathologies that afflict humans nowadays can be traced back to a deficit in the management of energy resources, including pathologies ranging from cancer, neurodegeneration, and diabetes to many other pathologies connected to modern society. With this Research Topic we intend to review the state-of-the-art of the most recent research and hypotheses that clarify the molecular mechanisms thanks to which energy resources are managed adequately enough to allow cells and organisms to face different situations and to better adapt to changes of any kind. In particular, with this collection, we set out to understand and highlight how different cells, each with their own specialization, are able to manage energy resources and reprogram the metabolism in order to respond to each new situation in an optimal way. This knowledge is essential in understanding how, and from where, different types of pathologies originate. Furthermore, these studies will provide valid tools to try to manipulate these mechanisms in order to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic tools to deal with the abundant number of pathologies which afflict humanity in the 21st century.
This Research Topic intends to bring together relevant studies, opinions and hypotheses that can provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling energy fluxes and allowing cells and individuals to overcomes potentially fatal outcomes. This Research Topic welcomes research articles as well as reviews describing mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the tuning of the mitochondrial function and dynamics, and the reciprocal influences on gene expression, cell–to-cell interactions, cell proliferation and cell death.
We also encourage highlighting outstanding technical challenges and experimental models. Particularly encouraged are submissions discussing more recent attempts to effectively exploit fuels by using small molecules as well as those contributing to a better understanding of the therapeutic application of isolated mitochondria.
The Guest Editors of this collection would like to dedicate this Research Topic to the late Dr. Vladimir Skulachev, in respect of his passion for the field of mitochondrial biology and bioenergetics.
The biomedical research community is pointing out how human beings, constantly face a cellular energy crisis with an impact on the organism as a whole. This is because an individual’s health is influenced by a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic status.
Over the last century, human beings have evolved at a neck-breaking speed. However, it is taking place at a very fast rate, making it difficult for humanity to genetically adapt. This often leads to the failure of energy management processes thus resulting in new pathologies. Cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative or muscle disorders, and cancer are some examples of failed energy management processes. To maintain an individual’s health, the cellular energy metabolism has to be tightly regulated. This is maintained through a series of complex and interconnected components that on the one hand sustain the most efficient production of energy, and on the other hand, controls the production and scavenging of toxic molecular by-products, such as the commonly known free radicals.
Most pathologies that afflict humans nowadays can be traced back to a deficit in the management of energy resources, including pathologies ranging from cancer, neurodegeneration, and diabetes to many other pathologies connected to modern society. With this Research Topic we intend to review the state-of-the-art of the most recent research and hypotheses that clarify the molecular mechanisms thanks to which energy resources are managed adequately enough to allow cells and organisms to face different situations and to better adapt to changes of any kind. In particular, with this collection, we set out to understand and highlight how different cells, each with their own specialization, are able to manage energy resources and reprogram the metabolism in order to respond to each new situation in an optimal way. This knowledge is essential in understanding how, and from where, different types of pathologies originate. Furthermore, these studies will provide valid tools to try to manipulate these mechanisms in order to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic tools to deal with the abundant number of pathologies which afflict humanity in the 21st century.
This Research Topic intends to bring together relevant studies, opinions and hypotheses that can provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling energy fluxes and allowing cells and individuals to overcomes potentially fatal outcomes. This Research Topic welcomes research articles as well as reviews describing mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the tuning of the mitochondrial function and dynamics, and the reciprocal influences on gene expression, cell–to-cell interactions, cell proliferation and cell death.
We also encourage highlighting outstanding technical challenges and experimental models. Particularly encouraged are submissions discussing more recent attempts to effectively exploit fuels by using small molecules as well as those contributing to a better understanding of the therapeutic application of isolated mitochondria.
The Guest Editors of this collection would like to dedicate this Research Topic to the late Dr. Vladimir Skulachev, in respect of his passion for the field of mitochondrial biology and bioenergetics.
