Mitochondrial transplantation will save damaged organs and fight aging.

    Using a nanosyringe, mitochondria are taken from healthy cells and injected into defective ones. The technological breakthrough could provide treatment for a huge number of diseases that are characterized by damage to tissues and entire organs - from chronic wounds to strokes. The technology could also find applications in the rejuvenation of stem cells, whose metabolism declines as we age.

Scientists from ETH Zurich have presented a new technology for mitochondrial transplantation - a nanosyringe for convenient transportation of organelles from cell to cell. Preclinical experiments have shown the high efficiency of the method, which keeps more than 80% of mitochondria functional.

Mitochondrial transplantation can be compared to organ transplantation. For example, a healthy donor kidney can provide many years of qualitatively new life for a person with kidney disease, and functional organelles, mitochondria, can ensure the survival of tissues and organs damaged by the disease. Mitochondria are most commonly referred to as the powerhouses of cells because they provide them with energy. The idea of ​​mitochondrial transplantation is not new, but so far it has been difficult to ensure the high efficiency of this technology in experimental treatment.

Now scientists have shown that using a unique laser-controlled nanosyringe, it is possible to take healthy mitochondria from one cell and inject them into those where defective organelles are observed.

Most importantly, it is a single sequential process that overcomes many of the difficulties of previous experiments.

As early as 20 minutes after transplantation, mitochondria began to "adapt" and were not rejected by the cell. In addition, their unparalleled survival during transfer was ensured, the authors stressed.

In clinical practice, the technology will allow for the treatment of diseased organs and tissues, and may also find application in the field of rejuvenation of stem cells, whose metabolism deteriorates with aging.

The scientists also plan to use this method to study endosymbiosis, the evolutionary process that led to the emergence of mitochondria.

Previously, US scientists have also reported success in mitochondrial transplantation in preclinical experiments. In clinical practice, a limited number of such procedures have been performed, mainly in children with heart pathologies.