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The role of cholesterol metabolism abnormalities in Coenzyme Q deficiency

Coenzyme Q is a lipid present in all cell membranes and involved in many biological functions, including energy production in the mitochondria. Defects in the making of CoQ cause Primary CoQ deficiencies, which often manifest in infancy or childhood with involvement of several organs, including kidney, brain, and heart. We studied CoQ-deficient kidney disease for many years and showed that defect in energy production is not the only mechanism responsible for kidney failure. In this application, we propose a novel mechanism of disease responsible for brain and heart diseases in CoQ deficiency. Since CoQ is produced through the same pathway that produces cholesterol and the two branches are co-regulated, we aim to establish the role of alterations in cholesterol metabolism in the demise of brain and heart in the contest of CoQ deficiency, using a novel mouse model that partially reproduces the human disease, and heart and brain cells derived from patients skin fibroblasts. The ultimate goal is to discover potential therapeutic targets for CoQ deficiency and other diseases where low CoQ has been found. In fact, patients often do not respond to CoQ supplementation because CoQ does not accumulate effectvely in tissues.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Grantee: Catarina Quinzii, MD
Grant type: Research Grant
Award total: $300,000.00
Institution: Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Country: USA