Thread by @CiaraGlenville

Mitochondrial fission by Drp1: Imagine tying elastic band so tight around the mitochondria it breaks in half. As usual there’s a balance (recycling process) but excess fission linked to mitochondrial abnormalities in metabolic & neuro degenerative diseases… 🧵 #LongCovid #mecfs

Viruses *including HHV-6* can directly induce mitochondrial fragmentation through Drp1.
Steps to start? support the remaining mito to make enough energy & support mito biogenesis, inhibit Drp1, and tackle viruses to turn off the driving trigger (easier said than done)

ASHA-091 is a therapeutic designed to inhibit Drp-1. Not yet in clinical trials and anyone who’s been waiting for BC007 knows how that can go. Others include P110 peptide which I don’t think is in clinical trials yet. (H/T to @Nick_Wellings for this post)

ashatherapeutics.com/pipeline

In the interim, definitely some natural/ supplement options on the list here we’ve all tried/ come across already. Maybe not as strong as a therapeutic? Info on dosages (rodent studies only) and which tissue studied in tables..
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

E.g: quercetin 10mg/kg mice & 100mg/ kg rats ⬇️ fission in cardiac tissue. Berberine 300mg/kg (!!!) mice in lung tissue. Cordycepin 10mg/kg or Thymoquinone 7.5 & 15mg/kg in CNS, mangiferin & resveratrol as IP injection. In vitro studies also on luteolin, baicalein, ellagic acid..

Happy for anyone to add on any additional studies they can find!

Vitamin K2 *in vitro* can inhibit fission and promote fusion

mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/7…

Role of vitamin D, K, selenium/ glutathione, zinc/copper and BCAAs in protecting the mitochondrial recycling process

mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3…

Note that this is like part 4 of my wee mitochondrial series if anyone is indeed reading them 😄 I’ll come back to part 3 the electron transport chain, and will do a thread on promoting biogenesis too.. and I know you all can’t WAIT! Biochemistry ftw 🙌