PDG Book Talks & Journal Club: "It's All About Energy" with Jim Lowder
Friday, March 13, 2026, 12:00 PM PDT – 1:30 PM PDT
Virtual event
Hosted by Premium Discovery Group, S.P.C.
Please join us on Friday 3/13/2026 in our first event of the "P.D.G. Book Talks & Journal Club" series of the year! We will discuss a 2023 review article co-authored by Amaloha Casanova et al titled "Mitochondria: It is all about energy” together with James Lowder, Chief Medical Officer of Mitargos, an early-stage company that owns the brand MiDR1V3 ("MiDrive”), with the latter already featured in our life sciences “Tea Chat” last October, as a science-backed food and beverage startup that strives to offer naturally energizing ketone drinks that revitalize human mitochondria. - MiDR1V3 has won a $250,000 semifinalist award from the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan competition in 2025, and is being tested in a UCSD-led clinical study, highlighting a major step in consumer-ready longevity. Abstract: Mitochondria play a key role in both health and disease. Their function is not limited to energy production but serves multiple mechanisms varying from iron and calcium homeostasis to the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as melatonin. They enable and influence communication at all physical levels through interaction with other organelles, the nucleus, and the outside environment. The literature suggests crosstalk mechanisms between mitochondria and circadian clocks, the gut microbiota, and the immune system. They might even be the hub supporting and integrating activity across all these domains. Hence, they might be the (missing) link in both health and disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction is related to metabolic syndrome, neuronal diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and infectious diseases, and inflammatory disorders. In this regard, diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and chronic pain are discussed. This review focuses on understanding the mitochondrial mechanisms of action that allow for the maintenance of mitochondrial health and the pathways toward dysregulated mechanisms. Although mitochondria have allowed us to adapt to changes over the course of evolution, in turn, evolution has shaped mitochondria. Each evolutionbased intervention influences mitochondria in its own way. The use of physiological stress triggers tolerance to the stressor, achieving adaptability and resistance. This review describes strategies that could recover mitochondrial functioning in multiple diseases, providing a comprehensive, root-cause-focused, integrative approach to recovering health and treating people suffering from chronic diseases. Keywords: mitochondria, mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial metabolism, mitochondrial hormesis, hormesis Premium Discovery Group, S.P.C. is a startup social purpose corporation of healthcare and life sciences, dedicated to advancing and fostering forward-thinking leaders of their own organizations and the entire ecosystem. We welcome you to join our community and follow us on social media (LinkedIn | Instagram) too!