Il segreto dei mitocondri. Strategie biomediche per vivere meglio e più a lungo

Four billion years ago, long before humans appeared, two populations of prokaryotic bacteria existed on Earth: archaea and mitochondria. After two billion years of peaceful coexistence—likely because the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere had increased—the mitochondrion, to avoid burning up, entered the archaea. This process of endosymbiosis gave rise to the eukaryotic cell and, thus, to life.
Mitochondria, therefore, are the foundation of existence, the spark from which the evolutionary process emerged, the starting point that gave rise to our history. Just as trees and vegetation created the favorable environment to the emergence of the human population over millions of years, we could say that mitochondria played a fundamental role in our development. This is why they are so important, indeed essential, to our health and well-being.
But how can we keep them healthy? Thanks to his research on “floxati”—patients with mitochondrial damage—Enzo Soresi, a pulmonologist, oncologist, and long-time neuroscientist, with the help of science communicator Pierangelo Garzia, explores the most interesting, controversial, and current issues in biomedicine and its research on these ancient bacteria. From the dangers of some antibiotics that are administered too easily, to the consequences of COVID-19, Professor Soresi teaches us how to recognize the signs of mitochondrial stress and take care of these “energy organelles”, one of the ways to stay healthy for as long as possible.