Nanoflowers rejuvenate old and damaged human cells by replacing their mitochondria
Published in Nanomedicine.
Biomedical researchers at Texas A&M University may have discovered a way to stop or even reverse the decline of cellular energy production—a finding that could have revolutionary effects across medicine.
Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar and Ph.D. student John Soukar, along with their fellow researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, have developed a new method to give damaged cells new mitochondria, returning energy output to its previous levels and dramatically increasing cell health.
Mitochondrial decline is linked to aging, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Enhancing the body’s natural ability to replace worn-out mitochondria could fight all of them.
As human cells age or are injured by degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s or exposure to damaging substances like chemotherapy drugs, they begin to lose their ability to produce energy. The culprit is a decrease in the number of mitochondria—small, organ-like structures within cells responsible for producing most of the energy cells use. From brain cells to muscle cells, as the number of mitochondria drops, so does the health of the cells, until they can no longer carry out their functions.
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-nanoflowers-rejuvenate-human-cells-mitochondria.html