Mitochondrion: The Subordinated Partner Who Agreed to Come Short But Insists in Healthy Life

Although became subordinated by eukaryotes, mitochondria maintain a certain level of their independence, e.g., by possessing own genetic information (mtDNA or mitochondrial DNA) for replication and highly dynamic homeostasis (fission, fusion, mitophagy) that enables functional mitochondria to effectively react towards changing environmental conditions and to remain within their comfort zone despite appearing health risks. Certainly, both partners, mitochondria and human cells, have their interests in common to protect the quality of life. Contextually, they learned to cooperate together on minimising health risks by utilising a spectrum of properties both complementary possess. Under stress conditions, mitochondria operate via their highly dynamic homeostasis and react promptly towards injury by increased mitophagy to rejuvenate the mitochondrial population and to warn all systems of the human body for a prompt induction of adaptive mechanisms aimed at increasing the level of systemic protection such as activated anti-oxidant defence and repair machinery. The life-important functions of mitochondria and synergies with human cells are recognised as the highly innovative diagnostic and treatment target of great clinical utility in primary care to protect vulnerable individuals against the health-to-disease transition and to change the paradigm from reactive to predictive, preventive and personalised medicine (PPPM / 3PM) promoted by the European Association for Predictive Preventive and Personalised Medicine, EPMA, Brussels, www.epmanet.eu .