In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers show that mitochondrial calcium transport remodeling — what appears to be an attempt by cells to compensate for flagging energy production and metabolic dysfunction — while initially beneficial, ultimately becomes maladaptive, fueling declines in mitochondrial function, memory, and learning. The new research, published by Nature Communications, is the first to link maladaptive changes in calcium transport by mitochondria — the energy-generating powerhouses of cells — to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
