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Forms of extracellular mitochondria and their impact in health

2019; Elsevier BV; Volume: 48; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.mito.2019.02.002

1872-8278

Sophia Miliotis, Bryan Nicolalde, Mayra Ortega, Jackie Yepez, Andrés Caicedo,

Mitochondrial Function and Pathology

Mitochondria play an important role as an intracellular energy plant and signaling organelle. However, mitochondria also exist outside cells where they could mediate cell-to-cell communication, repair and serve as an activator of the immune response. Their effects depend on the mitochondrial state or the form in which it is present, either as a whole functional structure as fragments or only as mitochondrial DNA. Herein, we provide evidence of why extracellular mitochondria and their varying forms are considered regenerative factors or pro-inflammatory activators. Understanding these aspects will provide the base of their use in therapy or as a biomarker of disease severity and prognosis.