Mitochondria and Their Roles in Health and Disease

Minutes

On June 26, 2026, Members of the Society and guests joined the speaker for a reception and dinner at 5:45 PM in the Members’ Dining Room at the Cosmos Club. Thereafter they joined other attendees in the Powell Auditorium for the lecture proceedings. In the Powell Auditorium of the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., President Larry Millstein called the lecture portion of the 2,538th meeting of the Society to order at 8:02 p.m. ET. He began by welcoming attendees, thanking sponsors for their support, announcing new members, and inviting guests to join the society. Scott Mathews then read the minutes of the previous meeting which included the lecture by Earl Miller, titled “Thought Emerges from Neural Dynamics”. The minutes were approved as read.

President Millstein then introduced the speaker for the evening, Douglas Wallace, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. His lecture was titled “Mitochondria and Their Roles in Health and Disease”.

The speaker began by saying that the primary focus of current medicine was anatomy, and therefore the structure of mass. He said that mass without energy is inert. While the mass of a body (its anatomy) is of course important, the energy that animates the mass is at least as important. Wallace explained the central role of mitochondria as the powerhouse of the cell, responsible for generating approximately 90% of the body's energy in the form of ATP. He discussed the fact that mitochondria are a bacterium, incorporated into cells about 2.5 billion years ago. Wallace described the biochemistry of mitochondria, combining fats, sugars, and oxygen to create the energy that cells use. He detailed the structure of mitochondria, including their inner and outer membranes and the mitochondrial DNA (or mtDNA), which is inherited exclusively from the mother. He discussed how maternal inheritance of mtDNA allows the mapping of human origins and migration patterns.

Wallace elaborated on the concept of "Mitochondrial Medicine," a field he pioneered. He explained that because organs with high energy demands—such as the brain, heart, muscle, and kidneys—are particularly vulnerable to defects in mitochondrial function, mutations in mtDNA can lead to a wide array of debilitating and often age-related diseases. He linked mitochondrial dysfunction to common diseases including heart disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and even cancer.

The speaker discussed how the accumulation of mutations in mtDNA over a person's lifetime contributes to the aging process. He presented evidence showing that a decline in mitochondrial energy output is a key factor in age-related degenerative decline. He presented details concerning several changes in mtDNA which have been associated with specific disease conditions. He argued that both the mutations and the adaptations of mtDNA have implications for predisposition and resistance to certain diseases. The speaker then discussed the specific role of mitochondria in SARS-COVID-2 and “long COVID”, showing that mitochondrial therapy mitigated COVID pathology in mice.

Wallace concluded his lecture by emphasizing the potential for therapies that target mitochondrial function. He suggested that by understanding the bioenergetic basis of disease, it may be possible to develop novel treatments and preventative strategies for a multitude of common and devastating health conditions.

The lecture was followed by a Question and Answer session.

A member asked about how lifestyle and diet affect the mitochondria, particularly with respect to aging and longevity. Wallace responded that an excess of calories would produce an epigenetic imprint that would be very important in diabetes and obesity. He said that animal models have clearly shown that a significant reduction in caloric intake extends lifespan.

A member asked a two-part question: first, to what extent do electromagnetic interactions affect mitochondrial function, and second, do mitochondria explain the observation that women, on average, tend to live longer than men. Wallace responded that he believed that estrogen played an important role in protecting mitochondria and mtDNA, particularly with respect to a woman’s menstrual cycle. He then discussed the fact that mitochondria use untethered electrons and protons in generating energy, and that these particles are clearly affected by magnetic fields. He described work that demonstrated changes in mitochondrial respiration due to changes in magnetic field. He discussed the possibility that mitochondria, having evolved in Earth’s magnetic field, may be well-optimized for energy production in that magnetic field.

A guest asked why it was that some people have severe COVID symptoms, while others can be completely asymptomatic. Wallace responded that recent results indicate that different mitochondrial “lineages”, or haplogroups, respond differently to the COVID virus, and that this could potentially account for the broad spectrum of responses to COVID.

After the question and answer period, President Millstein thanked the speaker and presented him with a PSW rosette, a signed copy of the announcement of his talk, and a signed copy of Volume 17 of the PSW Bulletin. He then announced speakers of up-coming lectures and made a number of housekeeping announcements. He adjourned the 2,538th meeting of the society at 10:02 pm ET.

Temperature in Washington, DC: 24.4° Celsius
Weather: Cloudy

Dinner attendance: 44
Lecture attendance:
In person: 83
Live Stream: 42
For a total of 125 viewers
Views of the video in the first two weeks: 603

Respectfully submitted, Scott Mathews: Recording Secretary