Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2017 December, 243(4)

Review

Impaired Bioenergetics in Clinical Medicine: A Target to Tackle

SERGEJ M. OSTOJIC^1,2

¹Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
²University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia.

Mitochondrial energy deficit is considered a key element of different clinical pathologies - from inherited disorders of energy metabolism to drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity, to cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. However, clinical manifestations of impaired bioenergetics are not easy to recognize, with patient-reported features usually include non-pathognomonic fatigue and weakness, or exercise intolerance, while specific lab tests are missing. Although it is not clear whether poor energetics is a primary deficit or a secondary consequence of specific disorders, improving mitochondrial viability remains a challenging task in both experimental and clinical medicine. In this review, biochemical and clinical evidence of energy deficits were reviewed, along with possible therapeutic options to tackle energy failure and restore bioenergetics.

keywords —— ATP; bioenergetics; creatine; energy metabolism; mitochondria

© 2017 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2017, 243, 227-235

Correspondence: Sergej M. Ostojic, M.D., Ph.D., Applied Bioenergetics Lab, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Lovcenska 16, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia.

e-mail: sergej.ostojic@chess.edu.rs