Mitox study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of oxygen in the context of mitochondrial dysfunction
IRAS ID
260483
Contact name
Patrick Chinnery
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
HVS/2018/2467, Cambridge University Insurance Office
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Oxygen is one of the most important elements in the atmosphere, and is essential for production of the body’s main source of energy (adenosine triphosphate or ATP). ATP is produced by mitochondria through a process called oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which uses oxygen. When people with mitochondrial disease develop acute illnesses, or have routine surgical operations, they are routinely given very high oxygen levels to breathe. Doctors do this because they think it will be helpful. However, recent studies in animals with faulty mitochondria suggest that this might make mitochondrial function worse in some situations. We want to know whether this happens in humans, so that we only use high oxygen treatments when it is safe and helpful to do so.
The aim of this project is to learn more about the effects of inhaling high oxygen levels in patients with mitochondrial disease.
We will compare the effects of regular room air (roughly 20% oxygen) and high level oxygen (55%) inhaled for 1 hour. This is the level of oxygen routinely used in hospital, which does not cause any side effects in most people. This will be done under careful supervision, with the following tests:
1. Functional magnetic resonance (MR) scanning to measure energy production in the brain and muscle in real time
2. Blood oxygen levels to measure how well oxygen is being taken up and used by the tissues
3. We will take blood samples before, during and after oxygen inhalation to look for molecules called ‘biomarkers’, which can give further clues about the mechanisms involved.
Studying these parameters in both the body and the blood will influence new approaches to the use of oxygen in rare mitochondrial diseases.REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EE/0157
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion