(Yicai) March 20 — Chinese researchers have developed a mitochondrial capsule that can safely and efficiently deliver the tiny energy-producing organelles into cells and tissues, opening a new therapeutic avenue for diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, that are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction.
The technique, developed by researchers at the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Guangzhou Medical University, encloses mitochondria in vesicles derived from red blood cell membranes, according to a study recently published in Cell. The method significantly improved transplantation success in animal experiments.
Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of human cells. About one in 5,000 people worldwide is affected by congenital mitochondrial genetic diseases….