Clinical Implications for Mitochondrial Stress Induced Senescence and Potential Interventions

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

2:00 PM-4:00 PM

BIOMED PhD Thesis Defense

Title: 
Clinical Implications for Mitochondrial Stress Induced Senescence and Potential Interventions

Speaker:
Ashley Azar, PhD Candidate, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems

Advisor:
Christian Sell, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Drexel Universtiy College of Medicine

Abstract:
Understanding the mechanisms behind how cells and organisms age is of great importance when trying to develop therapies to combat multiple age related disorders without the need for excessive prescription medications.

One context where age related disorders are prevalent is in patients suffering from HIV-1 infection. These patients, even when on anti-retroviral therapies, exhibit multiple signs of premature aging, one of which includes HIV-associated neurocognitive decline. Deficits in these patients are thought to be due to a combination of viral infection and long-term anti-retroviral treatment. Anti-retroviral drugs are known to induce mitochondrial damage, which may be responsible for driving comorbidities in this population.

Further analysis of the impact of these drugs on mitochondria is required to fully elucidate toxicity and develop adjuvant therapies. In addition, these patients exhibit a large degree of heterogeneity in the severity of side effects that is still not well understood. In order to understand these dynamic interactions we set out to determine if mitochondrial genetic backgrounds can influence neurocognitive heterogeneity, determine the mitochondrial and cellular effect of anti-retrovirals and identify potential therapeutics that can help combat cellular dysfunction and provide relief for patients suffering from age related diseases.

Contact Information

Ken Barbee
215-895-1335
barbee@drexel.edu