Energy-hungry tissues expand cleanup crews to clear worn-out mitochondria
A multi-university study has found that energy-demanding tissues like the heart and skeletal muscle maintain large populations of macrophages to clear out damaged mitochondria. When this cleanup process is impaired, tissue function and metabolic health decline.
Why it matters
This research highlights a critical link between immune cell function and the maintenance of metabolic health in high-energy tissues.
by University of California, San Francisco
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The body's heart muscle (for pumping blood), skeletal muscle (for movement and posture) and brown fat (for heat production) each require a lot of energy and make a lot of waste. That waste needs to be managed.
Now, scientists from UC San Francisco, Yale University, Pompeu Fabra University and the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research have uncovered how tissues adapt their clearance capacity to meet their waste management needs.
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