Mitochondrial Medicine: Mitchondrial Metabolism, Diseases, Diagnosis and Therapy Book

Mitochondrial Medicine is a relatively new area where several disciplines from basic science to clinical medicine converge. Mitochondrial medicine deals with diseases that are related to mitochondrial dysfunction due to a number of causes from free radical damage to genetic mutation. A primary feature of mitochondrial dysfunction is impaired cellular bioenergetics.

This book is based upon extensive data gathered over 30 years of clinical and experimental research. Internationally recognized authors share their experience and state-of-the-art knowledge in various fields of their expertise such as mitochondrial cardiology, neurology, diabetology, nephrology, immunology, rheumatology, reproductive medicine, sports medicine, and chronobiology, and guide readers through the disease process, from basic biochemical mechanisms to diagnosis to therapeutic aspects.

Laboratory evaluation plays a very important role in the diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases, in addition to clinical assessment. This includes analysis of plasma/mitochondrial coenzyme Q₁₀ content, mitochondrial respiratory chain function and oxidative phosphorylation in isolated mitochondria and biopsy material, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods.

In addition to standard medical therapy to treat cardiac, CNS, and other involvements in the mitochondrial disease patients, adjunctive nutritional therapy is indicated primarily to improve mitochondrial function. Therapy include coenzyme Q₁₀, a -lipoic acid, carnitine, w -3- and w -6-PUFA, vitamins and polarized light.

Mitochondrial Medicine is dedicated to Dr. Frederick L. Crane, discoverer of Coenzyme Q₁₀ in 1957, and to the Celebration of 50^th year of Coenzyme Q₁₀ discovery.

This book is intended for general medical practitioners, for specialists specialists such as cardiologists, neurologists, and diabetologists, biochemists, nutritionists, pharmacists, and also for graduate students.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:John D. Robertson, PhD(University of Kansas Medical Center)
Description:This comprehensive book deals with various experimental and clinical aspects of the role of mitochondria in physiology and pathophysiology.
Purpose:The purpose is to present broad perspectives and information about mitochondrial metabolism, disease, and therapy. This is certainly a worthy objective, as accumulating evidence points toward mitochondrial abnormalities as being important contributors to several diseases.
Audience:This is appropriate for physicians, pharmacologists, and life science specialists with an interest in mitochondria. The editor and the contributors are well versed in different areas of mitochondrial medicine.
Features:The editor presents an excellent survey of the various aspects of mitochondrial medicine. The first couple of chapters concern aspects of mitochondrial physiology and function, including energy metabolism and oxidative stress. The next two chapters cover chronobiology and chronobiometric analysis of mitochondrial function. Several chapters are devoted to the role that mitochondrial defects may play in aging and various disease states, including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. The book also addresses aspects of using dietary supplements, including CoQ10, carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, and n-3/n-6 PUFA, to promote normal mitochondrial function. A shortcoming is the absence of much discussion on drug development, using mitochondria as a target for pharmacological intervention for example, with respect to controlling the effects of the Bcl-2 family proteins.
Assessment:The editor has done a nice job of assembling a panel of researchers, several of whom are experts, in different aspects of mitochondria biology. Most chapters are reasonably well referenced and of appropriate length, and many contain helpful illustrations. The index is complete, which makes the text easy to navigate. This is a very good book that is appropriate for physicians, pharmacologists, and life science experts.