Mitochondria and Multiple Sclerosis

Mitochondria AND Multiple Sclerosis MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS A DEBILITATING DISORDER Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune neurological disorder in which the central nervous system is attacked by a person's own immune system. More than 350,000 people in the U.S. have MS, and approximately 2,500,000 people worldwide. More than twice as many women develop MS than men. Symptoms Can Include: NUMBNESS WEAKNESS FATIGUE DIZZINESS PAIN CONSTIPATION INCONTINENCE MUSCLE VISION TREMOR SEXUAL SPASMS PROBLEMS DYSFUNCTION MYELIN A NERVE'S NATURAL INSULATOR Myelin is the sheath that surrounds, protects and insulates our nerves and helps them conduct electrical impulses. Myelin sheath- In someone with MS, myelin breaks down, becomes scarred and can ultimately be lost altogether. Myelin damage causes a nerve's electrical signals to be weakened, faulty, or not transmit at all. OXIDATIVE STRESS A CRITICAL IMBALANCE Oxidative stress is a disturbance in the body's delicate balance between production of free radicals and antioxidant defenses. FREE RADICAL ANTIOXIDANT Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals overwhelm our normal, healthy antioxidant defense system. When oxidative stress persists within the central nervous system, it can be a major cause of tissue damage. Oxidative stress is a key factor in causing damage to a nerve's myelin sheath in MS. MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION A POWER SHORTAGE Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells, organelles that act like a cell's digestive system - they take in the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat and use them to produce energy to run the cell. -Mitochondria When mitochondria are not working optimally they deliver less energy to your cells and increase oxidative stress leading to poor cell function. Cell- Dysfunction of mitochondria in damaged myelin is increasingly recognized in MS and may be an important cause behind nerve degeneration. Improving mitochondrial function may assist people with MS and may help to manage the symptoms of the disease. MitoQ A TARGETED APPROACH MitoQ is a new type of antioxidant called a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that was developed by scientists at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand. MitoQ is unique because, for the first time ever, scientists have been able to deliver the COQ10 antioxidant direct to the mitochondria. MitoQ is a potent antioxidant that can reduce oxidative stress and support optimal mitochondrial function. Over $50 million has been spent investigating MitoQ's effect across a range of models of human disease. MITOQ MAY HELP COMBAT THE FATIGUE ASSOCIATED WITH AUTO-IMMUNE NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. MITON Sources: Medicalnewstoday.com Raystrand.com Biology4kids.com Rice edu It's your powerful advantage Autoimmune Diseases: "Mechanisms of Oxidative Damage in Multiple Sclerosis and a Cell Therapy Approach to For optimal mitochondrial support visit www.mitoq.com Treatment," Jonathan Witherick, Alastair Wilkins, Neil Scolding, and Kevin Kemp BBA: "Is multiple sclerosis a mitochondrial disease?" Peizhong Mao and P. Hemachandra Reddy Neuropathology and applied neurobiology: "Mitochondria and disease progression in multiple sclerosis," D. Mahad, H. Lassmann, and D. Turnbull