The Mitochondrion in Aging and Disease

Professor Heinz D. Osiewacz leads the group on Molecular Developmental Biology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt/ Main, Germany. He has a long-standing experience in the field of experimental gerontology. For his work on molecular mechanisms of ageing he received in 1985, together with Profs. K. Esser, U. Kück, U. Stahl and P. Tudzynski the Sandoz Prize of Gerontology by the International Association of Gerontology and in 2001 the Rene-Schubert Prize for Gerontology by the German Society of Gerontology. From 1990-1994 he was head of the department Molecular Biology of Ageing Processes at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. Since 1994 he is Professor at the University of Frankfurt. He edited (co-edited) five books, is co-author of one book, and published over 140 peer-reviewed research and review articles, respectively. H.D. Osiewacz is in the editorial board of Biogerontology, Current Genetics, Eukaryotic Cell Experimental Gerontology, Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, Microbial Cell. He was the coordinator of an integrated project of the European Commission on the role of mitochondria in conserved mechanisms of ageing (Acronym: MiMage). He participated in various EC projects and coordinated a national project of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) on systems biology, mitochondria and aging (GerontoMitoSys).The scientific work of his research group in the field of ageing research is devoted to unravel the molecular network of pathways controlling ageing in the fungal ageing model Podospora anserina. In particular, mitochondrial/nuclear interactions (cross talk), mitochondrial DNA instabilities and mtDNA repair, respiration, retrograde signalling, ROS generation and scavenging, apoptosis, mitochondrial dynamics, protein quality control, and autophagy are investigated at the genetic, biochemical, cytological, and physiological level. A central issue of the research is the analysis of long-lived mutants and of specific transgenic strains to raise functional and mechanistic data.

• The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of AgingGustavo BarjaMitochondrial DNA Mutations in AgingKonstantin Khrapko and Doug TurnbullMathematical Models of Mitochondrial Aging and DynamicsAxel Kowald and Edda KlippMitochondrial Dynamics in Aging and DiseaseJürgen Bereiter-HahnThe Retrograde Response – A Conserved Compensatory Reaction to Damage from Within and from WithoutS. Michal JazwinskiMitochondrial Acetylation and Genetic Models of Parkinson’s DiseaseGeorg Auburger, Suzana Gispert and Marina JendrachMitochondrial Dysfunction: Cause and Consequence of Alzheimer’s DiseaseKristina Friedland-Leuner, Carola Stockburger, Isabel Denzer, Gunter P. Eckert and Walter E. MüllerMitochondria in Cancer: Why Mitochondria are a Good Target for Cancer TherapyLan-Feng Dong and Jiri NeuzilEstrogen and Mitochondria Function in Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome Guanghong Jia, Annayya R. Aroor and  James R. SowersAdvances in Development of Rechargeable Mitochondrial AntioxidantsAlexander N. Lukashev, Maxim V. Skulachev, Victoria Ostapenko, Alla Yu. Savchenko, V. V. Pavshintsev and Vladimir P. Skulachev