The Role of Mitochondrial Uncoupling in the Regulation of Mitostasis After Traumatic Brain Injury

Mitostasis, the maintenance of healthy mitochondria, plays a critical role in brain health. The brain's high energy demands and reliance on mitochondria for energy production make mitostasis vital for neuronal function. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, leading to secondary cellular damage, neuronal degeneration, and cognitive deficits. Mild mitochondrial uncoupling, which dissociates ATP production from oxygen consumption, offers a promising avenue for TBI treatment. Accumulating evidence, from endogenous and exogenous mitochondrial uncoupling, suggests that mitostasis is closely regulating by mitochondrial uncoupling and cellular injury environments may be more sensitive to uncoupling. Mitochondrial uncoupling can mitigate calcium overload, reduce oxidative stress, and induce mitochondrial proteostasis and mitophagy, a process that eliminates damaged mitochondria. The interplay between mitochondrial uncoupling and mitostasis is ripe for further investigation in the context of TBI. These multi-faceted mechanisms of action for mitochondrial uncoupling hold promise for TBI therapy, with the potential to restore mitochondrial health, improve neurological outcomes, and prevent long-term TBI-related pathology.