After five years of studies with mice, a group of German researchers have discovered that Mutations inherited from the mother, more specifically mitochondrial DNA, can aggravate a person's ageing.

Mitochondrial DNA is found outside the nucleus of cells, is inherited through the mother and can transmit incurable genetic diseases to more energy-demanding organs such as the heart, brain, kidneys or pancreas.

Maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA dysfunctions can increase the risk of mitochondrial DNA dysfunction. tissue ageing when combined with other dysfunctions due to physical, chemical and biological agents.

In addition, an important finding of this group of scientists has been that inherited and non-inherited dysfunctions can lead to malformations in the brain, specifically in the hippocampus.

The work has been led by Nils-Göran Larsson at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne, and his results have been published in the British journal Nature.