PGC-1α for Mitochondrial Health

Pgc-1α and Mitochondria

Integrated Health Systems strives to stay on the cutting edge of regenerative medicine. PGC-1α is the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, the creation of new mitochondria. Mitochondrial health is critical to cellular health. Over 90% of the energy produced in your body comes from them, which is why they are called the “powerhouses” of our cells. Besides making new mitochondria, PGC-1α: 

• Upregulates critical genes in energy production, making existing mitochondria perform better
• Reduces the accumulation of free radicals by distributing the workload among more mitochondria. This hypothesis has been tested in transgenic mice and it appears to be correct. 

• May have benefits for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (Austin et. al, 2012). 

• Reduces oxidative damage, thereby potentially alleviating or staving a wide variety of diseases and disorders associated with mitochondrial damage. 

Cells start to fail when mitochondria begin failing, resulting in diminished performance. Low energy levels and even chronic fatigue are, in part, the result of increasing mitochondrial dysfunction over time. It can be activated by exercise, cold temperatures, and fasting, but like so many other things, levels decline over time – even if you’re doing everything right. There are mitochondria supplements on the market that claim to boost the creation of new mitochondria, but none of them do it as effectively as the direct activation of PGC-1α through gene therapy. 

References

Austin, Shane, and Julie St-Pierre. “PGC1α and mitochondrial metabolism–emerging concepts and relevance in ageing and neurodegenerative disorders.” J Cell Sci 125.21 (2012): 4963-4971.

Garcia, Sofia, et al. “Overexpression of PGC‐1α in aging muscle enhances a subset of young‐like molecular patterns.” Aging cell 17.2 (2018): e12707

Finck, Brian N., and Daniel P. Kelly. “PGC-1 coactivators: inducible regulators of energy metabolism in health and disease.” The Journal of clinical investigation 116.3 (2006): 615-622.

Handschin, Christoph, and Bruce M. Spiegelman. “The role of exercise and PGC1α in inflammation and chronic disease.” Nature 454.7203 (2008): 463.

Myhill, Sarah, Norman E. Booth, and John McLaren-Howard. “Chronic fatigue syndrome and mitochondrial dysfunction.” International journal of clinical and experimental medicine 2.1 (2009): 1.

Tran, Mei T., et al. “PGC1α drives NAD biosynthesis linking oxidative metabolism to renal protection.” Nature 531.7595 (2016): 528.