Researchers Discover Technique to Revive Energy Production in Aging Cells
Scientists may be one step closer to tackling one of biology’s biggest challenges: how to revive the energy systems inside aging human cells.
A new study from Texas A&M University, published in PNAS, reports that researchers have managed to boost the internal “power supply” of human stem cells, allowing them to hand off fresh mitochondria to older, failing cells nearby.
Mitochondria, often described as the cell’s power stations, naturally decline with age. They slow down, shrink in number, or become damaged, contributing to a wide range of diseases that affect tissues requiring constant energy, including the heart and brain. The new research suggests it may be possible to replenish these energy sources without drugs or genetic engineering.
The technique hinges on an unusual tool—tiny, flower-shaped nanoparticles made of molybdenum disulfide. Known as “nanoflowers,” these structures were engineered with microscopic pores that enable them to absorb excess reactive oxygen species or chemically aggressive molecules that build up over time and place immense stress on cells.
When these molecules were removed, the stem cells began activating genes linked to mitochondrial biogenesis, producing far more mitochondria than usual.
“We have trained healthy cells to share their spare batteries with weaker ones,” said biomedical engineer Akhilesh Gaharwar, one of the study’s senior authors.
“By increasing the number of mitochondria inside donor cells, we can help aging or damaged cells regain their vitality—without any genetic modification or drugs.”
Stem cells already have a natural ability to transfer mitochondria to cells in distress, but the researchers found that the nanoflower treatment dramatically amplified this ability. In laboratory tests, treated stem cells shared roughly twice as many mitochondria as they normally would.
The receiving cells responded dramatically. Smooth muscle cells, including those found in the heart, expanded three- to four-fold after the mitochondrial handoff. Heart cells exposed to chemotherapy, treatments known to damage cellular energy systems, experienced significantly higher survival rates after receiving mitochondria from the boosted stem cells.
The researchers believe the approach could be adapted to treat a wide range of conditions rooted in cellular energy decline. They envision targeted injections near the heart for cardiovascular disorders or direct application into weak or degenerating muscles.
“It’s pretty promising in terms of being able to be used for a whole wide variety of cases, and this is just kind of the start,” said geneticist John Soukar, who worked on the project.
“We could work on this forever and find new things and new disease treatments every day.”
For now, the work remains firmly at the proof-of-concept stage. The experiments were conducted in controlled laboratory conditions using human stem cells, and the team acknowledges that the next steps, like testing the approach in animals and eventually in humans, will determine whether the strategy can translate into real therapies.
“This is an early but exciting step toward recharging aging tissues using their own biological machinery,” Gaharwar said. “If we can safely boost this natural power-sharing system, it could one day help slow or even reverse some effects of cellular aging.”
Future studies will also need to establish where in the body the mitochondria-rich stem cells should be placed, how large a dose is both safe and effective, and whether there are any long-term consequences to amplifying the natural mitochondrial-sharing process.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
