Scientists have developed a way to coat mitochondria, the tiny structures that produce energy inside our cells, with advanced materials without interfering with their function. The achievement could eventually help researchers develop new approaches to treating diseases caused by malfunctioning mitochondria.
The research was conducted by IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta (FINCB) and Politecnico di Milano through their joint BraiNs laboratory, established in 2023. The collaboration combines the mitochondrial biology expertise of Dr. Valeria Tiranti (FINCB), a researcher in the Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Complex Unit (SC) and head of the Fondazione Mariani Centre for Paediatric Mitochondrial Diseases, with the chemistry and materials engineering expertise of Professor Pierangelo Metrangolo (Politecnico di Milano).
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).
A New Way to Coat the Powerhouses of Our Cells
Mitochondria generate the energy that cells need to carry out their essential activities. When these structures malfunction, they can contribute to several diseases, many of them rare. Mitochondrial diseases are particularly harmful to organs and tissues that require large amounts of energy, including the brain and muscles. Effective treatment options for these conditions remain limited.
To explore new possibilities, the researchers turned to Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF), a class of advanced materials whose properties can be tailored for different applications. The importance of these materials was highlighted by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi for their work in this field.
Applying these materials to mitochondria presents a major challenge because the structures are extremely delicate and can easily lose their ability to function properly.
The research team overcame this obstacle by developing a technique that applies tiny amounts of MOF material directly to the mitochondrial surface. Crucially, tests showed that the coated mitochondria continued producing energy, demonstrating that the process could modify their surfaces without compromising this essential function.
Potential for Future Mitochondrial Treatments
One of the most promising aspects of the discovery is the ability to customize the coating for different purposes.
“The possibility of modifying the coating now opens up new research prospects: in the future, it will be possible to develop MOF with different characteristics depending on the objective, creating coatings capable of performing specific functions,” observes Prof. Metrangolo.
A potential application is mitochondrial transplantation, an experimental technique intended to introduce healthy mitochondria into cells whose existing mitochondria are not functioning correctly. Researchers believe that specially engineered coatings might eventually make it easier to deliver healthy mitochondria and help them interact with the cells receiving them.
“A specifically designed coating could, in the future, facilitate this transfer and the interaction between mitochondria and cells,” emphasizes Dr. Tiranti.
However, this possibility remains unproven. Additional research will be necessary to establish whether coated mitochondria perform better during transplantation than mitochondria without a coating.
The study was completed as part of a research project led by PhD candidate Marco D’Amato. Funding was provided through the “CALabria HUB per Ricerca Innovativa ed Avanzata (Cal.Hub.Ria)” project, supported under the Ministry of Health’s Health Operational Plan (Piano Operativo Salute, POS).
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