The Role of the Mitochondria in Neural Degeneration

Xin Qi is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, United States. Her research focuses on the roles of mitochondrial quality control and metabolism in various neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD), and on developing therapeutic strategies for treating these devastating disorders. Dr. Qi’s lab uses unbiased proteomics and genomics, cellular and molecular biology, genetic manipulation in culture and in vivo, imaging, patient iPS cells-derived cell culture, and murine disease models to determine the fundamental mechanisms and pathways by which mitochondrial impairment causes neurodegeneration. Dr Qi also serves as Associated Editor or Topic Editor in several journals.

Section I Introduction to Mitochondria 1. A background introduction on mitochondria 2. Mitochondrial function in neuronal function and survival Section II Impairment of mitochondrial quality control: causes and effects? 3. Introduction to the effects of mitochondrial quality control impairment on cell fate 4. Mitochondrial dynamics in neurodegenerative diseases 5. Mitochondrial proteostasis in neuronal degeneration 6. Mitophagy and autophagy during neuronal degeneration 7. Mitochondrial transportation and neurodegenerative disorders 8. mtDNA integrity and neuronal degeneration Section III Impact of mitochondrial intercellular connections on neuronal health 9. Introduction to the effects of mitochondrial intercellular connection impairment on cellular function 10. Mitochondria-associated ER Membrane in neurodegenerative diseases 11. Mitochondria-cytoskeleton interface and neuronal degeneration 12. Mitochondria, inflammasome and immune response in neurological disorders 13. Mitochondria-synapses communication during neuronal degeneration Section IV Potential therapeutic strategy targeting mitochondria 14. Introduction of current advances in "mitochondrial medicine" for the treatment of human diseases 15. Mitochondrial genome editing and neurological disorders 16. Mitochondrial transplantation to reduce neuronal impairment 17. Development of mitochondria-targeting small molecules/biologics to treat neurological disorders 18. Summary and Conclusions