title: Targeting mitochondrial function to protect against vision loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitochondria, essential to multicellular life, convert food into ATP to satisfy cellular energy demands. Since different tissues have different energy requirements, mitochondrial density is high in tissues with high metabolic needs, such as the visual system, which is therefore highly susceptible to limited energy supply as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vision impairment is a common feature of most mitochondrial diseases. At the same time, there is mounting evidence that mitochondrial impairment contributes to the pathogenesis of major eye diseases such as glaucoma and might also be involved in the reported vision impairment in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rather than relying on symptomatic treatment, acknowledging the mitochondrial origin of visual disorders in mitochondrial, neurodegenerative and ocular diseases could lead to novel therapeutics that aim to modulate mitochondrial function in order to protect against vision loss. This approach has already shown some promising clinical results in inherited retinal disorders, which supports the idea that targeting mitochondria could also be a treatment option for other optic neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health , University of Tasmania , Hobart , Australia.
authors.forename: Jamuna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chhetri
authors.affiliation: a Division of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health , University of Tasmania , Hobart , Australia.
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gueven
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D028361:Mitochondrial Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Drugs; eyes; inherited mitochondrial disease; mitochondria; neurodegenerative disease; ocular disease; short-chain quinones; vision