making powerhouses of cells show damage in MS: Study

Inflammatory-mitochondrial imbalance tied to fatigue, anxiety

Mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of cells. (Image from iStock)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may be marked by problems with the body’s ability to make new mitochondria — the small structures inside plant and animal cells that serve as tiny power plants for turning food into usable energy.

That’s the key finding of a new study in which researchers discovered that people with MS had abnormal levels of several blood markers related to mitochondria, often called the powerhouses of cells. The team also found elevated markers related to inflammation and cellular stress.

While noting that more investigation is needed, the scientists proposed that these blood markers “may represent accessible candidate indicators of disease-related biological alterations.”

According to the researchers, this work suggests that MS “is characterized by a peripheral inflammatory-mitochondrial imbalance associated with fatigue, anxiety,” and other symptoms.