Memory and Mitochondria: Are We Entering the Era of Programmable Brain Energy? T
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- Published on 23 September 2026
The World Mitochondria Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Etienne Hébert Chatelain from Université de Moncton, Canada, will join the 17th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria 2026 in Berlin.
Dr. Hébert-Chatelain will present a strategic lecture entitled: Programmable Mitochondria: Rewiring Brain Bioenergetics to Restore Cognition
His recent work published in Nature Neuroscience, together with Giovanni Marsicano and Luigi Bellocchio from NeuroCentre Magendie, INSERM and University of Bordeaux, introduces a major conceptual shift in neurodegeneration research.
Using an engineered mitochondrial signaling system called mitoDREADD-Gs, the team demonstrated that mitochondrial activity can be remotely reactivated, restoring synaptic plasticity and memory performance in mouse models of cognitive decline.
The study suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may not simply be a downstream consequence of neurodegeneration, but an active driver of cognitive decline that may become therapeutically reversible.
This work opens major perspectives for:
* Mitochondrial neuromodulation
* Organelle-targeted signaling
* Programmable bioenergetics
* Next-generation mitochondrial medicine
At Targeting Mitochondria 2026, this emerging strategic shift will be discussed through critical questions:
Can cognitive decline be reversed by restoring mitochondrial bioenergetics before neurons are lost?
Are mitochondria becoming the next therapeutic control point in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
