Mitochondrial Proteins Protect Heart Cells from Chemotherapy Damage

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have identified a process by which enzymes can help prevent heart damage in chemotherapy patients. The enzymes are normally found in a cell’s mitochondria, the powerhouses that produce energy. But when heart cells are put under stress from certain types of chemotherapy drugs, the enzymes move into the cell’s nucleus, where they are able to keep the cells alive. The paper was published July 19, 2023 in Nature Communications. The open-access article is titled “Nuclear Translocation of Mitochondrial Dehydrogenases As an Adaptive Cardioprotective Mechanism.”