Bone marrow transplants show promise as treatment for mitochondrial disease

Source Summary

A Stanford Medicine-led study demonstrates that bone marrow transplants can provide replacement mitochondria to diseased cells in the heart and brain. The finding represents a potential first effective treatment for mitochondrial disorders, a group of genetic diseases caused by dysfunctional cellular mitochondria.

Why it matters

Mitochondrial disorders currently lack effective treatments, and this finding offers the first demonstrated therapeutic approach to restore cellular function in affected organs.