What keeps mitochondria healthy in the heart?

The role of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in the stressed heart

BHF Professor Ajay Shah and his team at Kings College London are studying whether manipulating a stress pathway in the mitochondria of heart muscle cells could help treat heart disease. Mitochondria are ‘powerhouses’ within cells that generate energy to keep cells healthy. To keep mitochondria working optimally, proteins are constantly renewed and degraded. In stressful conditions such as disease, there can be an increase in misfolded or damaged proteins, requiring more protein renewal to take place. This renewal process is controlled by a signalling pathway called the mitochondrial UPR, sending signals from the mitochondria to the cell’s genetic hub – the nucleus - and back. We know that mitochondria don’t work properly in many heart conditions, but scientists have not studied this in depth. Professor Shah and colleagues have identified the mitochondrial UPR pathway in heart muscle cells, and think it is important in keeping the heart working properly. In this project, he will study how this pathway is controlled in the heart, how it affects heart function, and what happens in cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure. He will find out whether this pathway could be manipulated to improve heart function. This research will shed light on the role of the mitochondrial UPR in the heart and may reveal new treatments for cardiovascular disease by keeping mitochondria healthy.