Scientists have developed a new way to coat mitochondria, the tiny structures that power our cells, while preserving much of their function.
Researchers at two Italian institutions found that coated mitochondria retained approximately 83 percent of their normal basal respiration, although some measurements showed reduced activity.
The discovery, published September 18, 2026, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could open new possibilities for research into mitochondrial transplantation.
Scientists from Politecnico di Milano and the IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta conducted the work. They used an advanced material to modify mitochondria isolated from mouse liver tissue without completely disrupting their energy-producing processes.
Mitochondria are essential to cellular respiration, which allows cells to generate usable energy. Problems with their function are linked to several diseases, making them a key focus of biological research.
The achievement is not that scientists made mitochondria more powerful, but that they successfully changed their surfaces while preserving much of their essential activity.
How Scientists Gave Mitochondria a New Coating
Researchers used a porous material called ZIF-8 to surround isolated mitochondria without stopping their respiratory activity.
ZIF-8 belongs to a group of substances called metal-organic frameworks, which are built from metal ions and organic molecules.
These materials can be engineered for different applications, but applying them to mitochondria is challenging because the structures are sensitive to their chemical surroundings.
The Italian team developed a method that uses relatively low concentrations of coating ingredients. This matters because higher concentrations of certain chemicals can interfere with mitochondrial respiration.
After applying the coating, researchers measured oxygen consumption to determine whether the modified mitochondria remained functional.
The Results Showed Both Progress and Limitations
The coated mitochondria remained active, although their oxygen consumption decreased in two important measurements.
Basal respiration declined from 14.36 in uncoated mitochondria to 11.96 after coating, meaning the modified structures retained approximately 83 percent of their original activity.
ADP-stimulated respiration, a measure of cellular energy production, decreased from 76.02 to 60.66. Both reductions were statistically significant in the reported experiments.
However, the respiratory control ratio, another measurement of mitochondrial function, changed only slightly, from 10.58 to 10.23. Researchers found that difference was not statistically significant.
These findings demonstrated that the engineered material could be applied without eliminating the mitochondria’s respiratory capabilities.
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The Researchers Also Tested the Coated Mitochondria in Other Cells
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A separate experiment found that transferring coated mitochondria into mouse cells increased their respiratory activity.
The team introduced coated mitochondria into mouse embryonic fibroblasts and examined the cells three days later.
The treated cells showed greater respiratory capacity than untreated controls, with no adverse effect on measured cell viability.
However, cells receiving uncoated mitochondria also showed increased respiration. The researchers therefore could not establish that the coating made mitochondrial transfer more effective.
This distinction matters because scientists are investigating mitochondrial transplantation as a potential way to introduce functioning mitochondria into cells with impaired mitochondrial activity.
“A specifically designed coating could, in the future, facilitate this transfer and the interaction between mitochondria and cells,” researcher Valeria Tiranti said in the institutional announcement.
The findings remain experimental and do not demonstrate an effective treatment for humans.
What This Discovery Could Mean for Future Research
The next challenge is determining whether the coating provides advantages beyond simply preserving mitochondrial function.
The research emerged from the BraiNs laboratory, a collaboration established in 2023 between Politecnico di Milano and the Carlo Besta neurological institute.
The project brought together researchers including Marco D’Amato, Pierangelo Metrangolo and Valeria Tiranti, combining expertise in materials engineering and mitochondrial biology.
“The possibility of modifying the coating now opens up new research prospects,” Metrangolo said.
Future investigations will need to examine how coating thickness and coverage influence mitochondrial activity and whether different designs improve transplantation outcomes.
For now, the researchers have demonstrated something significant: delicate cellular structures can be modified using advanced materials while retaining essential biological functions.
What practical advantages must scientists demonstrate before this mitochondrial coating technology can move beyond the laboratory?
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