Extracellular Mitochondria Have Some Ability to Selectively Target Tissues Experiencing Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Mitochondria can be ejected and taken up by cells, or transferred via connections between cells, and this appears to one of the many ways in which cells communicate or attempt to assist in cases of damage. It is of great interest to the research community that intracellular mitochondria can be taken up and used by cells, given the existence of inherited diseases resulting from mitochondrial mutations, and given the late life decline in mitochondrial function that contributes to many age-related conditions. It may be possible to deliver fully functional mitochondria as a therapy, to be ingested by cells in order to repair their function. Several startup biotech companies are working towards the infrastructure needed to use transplanted mitochondria as a therapy. To be cost-effective, these organelles would be harvested from standardized cell lines, potentially matching recipients and lines for the known human haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA. With this work in mind, it is interesting to note today's open access paper, in which researchers provide evidence for transplanted mitochondrial to be taken up preferentially by damaged cells. This is good news, provided that the mechanism of selective uptake operates in cells with age-damaged mitochondria as well as in those where mitochondrial function is compromised by other means. Preferred Migration of Mitochondria toward Cells and Tissues with Mitochondrial Damage Mitochondria play a fundamental role in cellul...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs