Mitochondria’s impact on health and disease: A central theme at Berlin’s leading scientific congress

The Scientific Committee of the World Mitochondria Society (WMS) is proud to announce the 15^th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria, scheduled for October 29-31, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Berlin Ku’damm. This congress will gather international leaders in mitochondrial research to discuss groundbreaking topics, including mitochondrial function evaluation, emerging trends in mitochondria research, mitochondrial medicine, and more.

Attendees will explore the latest advancements, innovative strategies, and discoveries that are shaping the future of mitochondrial science.

What’s New at Targeting Mitochondria 2024?

Volkmar Weissig and Marvin Edeas, Chairmen of the WMS Scientific Board, highlight the importance of this year’s focus on strategic and unconventional topics like mitochondrial transplantation, extracellular vesicles, and the Microbiota-Mitochondria communication.

Keynote Speakers of Targeting Mitochondria 2024

Day 1: Prof. Eric Schon, Columbia University, USA, will deliver a presentation titled “Mitochondria in Alzheimer disease: it’s not what you think”.

Prof. Schon challenges the conventional understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, proposing an innovative hypothesis centered on the role of a different amyloid precursor protein cleavage product, C99. His presentation promises fresh perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease as a lipid disorder, offering potential strategies in diagnosis and treatment.

Day 2: Prof. Howy Jacobs, Tampere University, Finland – “Mitochondria: More Heat Than Light?”

Prof. Jacobs will present the implications of elevated mitochondrial temperature for evolution, development, cell signaling, immunity and pathology.

Program and Speakers 2024

A Mitochondria Workshop will be led by Dr. Naïg Gueguen of the MitoVasc Institute at Angers University Hospital Center, France, focusing on mitochondrial function assessment.

Mitochondrial Dynamics in Health and Diseases: Mechanistic and Perspectives

• Antentor Hinton of Vanderbilt University, USA, will highlight the connections between mitochondrial dynamics and aging.
• Naotada Ishihara from Osaka University, Japan, will explain how the dynamics of mitochondrial membranes and genomes regulate mitochondrial activity.
• Ježek Petr of the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic, will provide updates and perspectives on mitochondrial dynamics.
• Sonia Levi from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy, will examine the role of mitochondrial iron metabolism in the pathogenesis of diseases.
• Laurie Sanders from Duke University School of Medicine, USA, will present on blood-based markers of mitochondrial DNA damage in Parkinson’s disease.

Evaluation of Quality Control of Mitochondrial Function: Hands on Demonstrations

• Egbert Mik from Erasmus MC, The Netherlands, will provide an update on clinical applications of evaluating and quality control of mitochondrial function.
• Naïg Gueguen from CHU Angers, France, will discuss the highlights, methods, discrepancies, and recommendations for evaluating mitochondrial function.
• Giulia Bertolin from Université de Rennes, France, will talk about the development of new biosensors for studying mitochondrial function and mitophagy.

Emerging Trends and Strategies in Mitochondria Research

• Stefano Pluchino from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, will cover how mitochondrial extracellular vesicles orchestrate brain plasticity and recovery.
• Devika S Manickam from Duquesne University, USA, will present on the delivery of mitochondria via extracellular vesicles to the blood-brain barrier.
• Maik Hüttemann from Wayne State University, USA, will discuss advances in infrared light treatment and its effects on mitochondria in photomedicine.
• Michael B. Powner from City University of London, United Kingdom, will examine the role of light in regulating blood glucose through mitochondrial stimulation.
• Stephen Tait from the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, will investigate mitochondria as age-old drivers of inflammation.
• Indira Mysorekar from Baylor College of Medicine, USA, will discuss the role of mitochondria in Zika virus propagation and mechanisms of immune evasion and inter-cellular transmission.

Mitochondrial Medicine 2024: From Bench to Bedside

• Jonathan R. Brestoff from Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, USA, will present on the power and potential of mitochondria transfer.
• Mark Kindy from James A. Haley VA Hospital and University of South Florida, USA, will talk about how mitochondrial transplantation mediates improved cellular energy metabolism, restoration of mitochondrial function, and prevention of cell death.
• Ana Andreazza from the University of Toronto, Canada, will discuss advances in mitochondrial dynamics related to health and disease, specifically in mood disorders and mitochondrial-organ transplantation.
• Jignesh D. Pandya from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, USA, will present on the state of science in mitochondria-specific targets, therapeutics, and biomarkers following traumatic brain injury in the US military.

For more information, about Targeting Mitochondria 2024 Congress and the World Mitochondria Society, please visit: www.wms-site.com.