Energy-making powerhouses of cells show damage in MS, per new study

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may be marked by problems with the body’s ability to make new mitochondria — the small structures inside plant and animal cells that serve as tiny power plants for turning food into usable energy.

That’s the key finding of a new study in which researchers discovered that people with MS had abnormal levels of several blood markers related to mitochondria, often called the powerhouses of cells. The team also found elevated markers related to inflammation and cellular stress.

While noting that more investigation is needed, the scientists proposed that these blood markers “may represent accessible candidate indicators of disease-related biological alterations.”

According to the researchers, this work suggests that MS “is characterized by a peripheral inflammatory-mitochondrial imbalance associated with fatigue, anxiety,” and other symptoms.

The study, “Associations Between Neuromuscular Fatigue, Anxiety, and Peripheral Biomarkers of Neuronal Injury, Inflammation, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Treatment-Naïve Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in the journal Brain and Behavior. 

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June 27, 2025 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD

Mitochondrial problems linked to loss of motor control cells in MS

MS is a chronic disease marked by inflammation that damages healthy cells in the brain and spinal cord. The resulting nerve damage disrupts normal neurological signaling, ultimately giving rise to symptoms that can include spasticity, cognitive impairment, and mental health issues.

The underlying biology that drives MS is not fully understood. Although the disease primarily affects the central nervous system, comprising the brain and spinal cord, MS is characterized by a dysregulated inflammatory state that may disrupt the activity of cells throughout the entire body.

Changes in mitochondria may be biological markers in MS

In this study, a team led by scientists in Brazil analyzed blood samples from 20 people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 20 individuals without the disease, matched for age and sex. RRMS, the most common form of the disease, is characterized by periods of new or worsening symptoms interspersed with times in which symptoms ease and stabilize.

Each participant also completed standardized questionnaires assessing fatigue and anxiety. The results indicated that the MS patients generally reported significantly more severe fatigue and anxiety than those without the condition.

Using the blood samples, the researchers compared levels of dozens of biologically active molecules in the MS patients versus the healthy controls. The team identified several molecules that showed significant differences. For example, MS patients were found to have higher levels of several inflammation-related molecules, including a protein called NLRP3. The individuals with MS also generally had higher markers of oxidative stress, a type of cellular damage that’s been implicated in the disease.

There were also differences in levels of several molecules related to mitochondria, which are responsible for energy generation. In particular, MS patients showed reduced expression of TFAM genes, which are genes that help make new mitochondria. At the same time, MS patients had elevated levels of Parkin and Pink-1, which are proteins that break down damaged mitochondria. Collectively, these changes suggest that MS patients are losing more mitochondria and not making as many new ones.

The researchers concluded that indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis — the process that cells use to produce new mitochondria — may hold promise as markers of MS.

“Further research is needed to clarify how changes in mitochondrial biogenesis correlate with clinical severity, age at onset, and therapeutic outcomes,” the team wrote.