The scientists focused on a protein called ECSIT, which plays a critical role in the immune system and also appears to establish interactions with many proteins connected to mitochondrial bioenergetic activity widely compromised in AD, finding that it has an important role in assembling the complex ‘helper’ which will assemble the respiratory complex I. ECSIT, as a ‘site manager’, directs the function of the proteins that are part of the ‘helper’ complex so that they do the job they are supposed to do well. The gene discussed is ECSIT; the disease is Alzheimer disease.