PNAS: A common antihypertensive drug delivered directly to the inner membrane of the mitochondria

In a study conducted using lab-grown cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine who specialize in aging reported that they had successfully delivered a common antihypertensive drug directly to the lining of mitochondria, the "power plants" in human, animal, plant and most other biological cells
.

Researchers have long aimed to develop ways to deliver drugs directly against these energy-producing parts of cells because mitochondria drive, control, or play a role in almost every biological process, including the natural death and aging
of cells.

The new study, published Aug.

Peter Abadir, MD, associate professor of geriatrics and gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: "Our study shows that we can use the body's natural mitochondrial transport system to deliver drugs
more precisely.

In this study, the researchers synthesized three natural transporters
that interact with mitochondria in the lab.

In a proof-of-concept experiment, the researchers also tested a "scrambled" version of mtLOS, which cannot penetrate cell membranes
.

Further research is needed, Abadir said, but the goal is to use mtLOS or other natural transport routes to directly and effectively target biochemical imbalances and loss of delivery drugs
associated with chronic inflammation, aging and weakened organ function characteristic of many diseases.

Abadil said: "We know that part of the reason people age is mitochondrial decline, and for decades scientists have been trying to counteract this decline
with treatments that go directly into the organelles.

Han, Jeremey Walston, Peter Abadir and Ran Lin have filed two patents
based on the study.

Other scientists who contributed to the study include Jude Phillip, Lin Ran, Andrew Chissham, David Stern, Li Yukang, Yuzhu Wang, Han Wang, David Rini, Cui Honggang and Jeremy Walston
of Johns Hopkins University.

The study was funded
by the Johns Hopkins University Independent Center for the American Elderly, the National Institute of Aging-National Institutes of Health, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Discovery Fund Project - Synergy Award, the Nathan W.

Journal Reference:

1. Jude M Phillip, Ran Lin, Andrew Cheetham, David Stern, Yukang Li, Yuzhu Wang, Han Wang, David Rini, Honggang Cui, Jeremy D Walston, Peter M Abadir.