GoKawiilNearly all mammalian cell types use organelles called mitochondria to harvest energy from nutrients and manufacture molecules that cells need to maintain their health1. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a feature of many diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer. It is also the main cause of primary mitochondrial diseases, such as a vision-loss disorder known as Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Writing in Nature, Ayupov et al.2 report the development of a protein-based targeting system called MitoCatch that delivers healthy mitochondria to damaged LHON neurons, improving neuronal health and survival.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00910-4
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Competing Interests J.R.B. is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of LUCA Science, Inc.; receives research support from LUCA Science and Edgewise Therapeutics; is a consultant for Columbus Instruments, Inc.; has received royalties from Springer Nature Group and honoraria from Wiley; is an inventor on technology licensed to Columbus Instruments, Inc. with royalty rights; and is an inventor on pending patent applications related to the treatment of metabolic diseases (63/625,555), allergic diseases (US20210128689A1) and mitochondria transfer (018984/US).
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