Healthy cells have been trained to share their energy with weaker cells.
A team of researchers from the University of Texas, in the USA, has developed a technique that allows “recharging” aged human cells by reinforcing their mitochondriastructures responsible for producing energy inside cells.
As we age, mitochondria decrease in number and efficiency. When these “energy centers” stop working, problems arise in organs, such as the heart, brain or muscles.
The new study, in PNAS, shows that it is possible to increase the number of mitochondria in human stem cells in a controlled way and use this extra energy to recover damaged neighboring cells.
The researchers used flower-shaped nanostructured particles, (“nanoflowers”), made of molybdenum disulfide, says . These particles were designed with tiny pores that work like sponges, capturing highly reactive oxygen molecules that cause stress and cellular damage. By removing these reactive oxygen species, the “nanoflowers” activate genes that drive the production of new mitochondria in stem cells.
These stem cells have the natural ability to share mitochondria with other cells. But according to the study, they now have a surplus of energy plants, which increased the recharging effect on aged or injured cells. According to the team, the Mitochondria sharing doubled compared to what would be expected under normal conditions.
The impact was particularly evident in smooth muscle cells, such as those found in the heart, which increased in number by three to four times. In heart cells exposed to chemotherapy, the survival rate clearly improved after receiving additional mitochondria.
The process does not use gene editing or drugs, just the stimulation of the cells’ natural machinery.
The authors believe that the approach could be adapted to various fabrics: applied close to the heart in cases of cardiovascular disease, directly to the muscle in patients with muscular dystrophies, or in other regions where cellular aging plays a central role.
Despite the enthusiasm, scientists emphasize that the work is still at an early stage. The study was carried out under laboratory conditions and the next step will be to test safety, adequate doses and long-term effects in animal models and, later, in humans.
