Overview
- Researchers at Duke report in Nature that supplying healthy mitochondria reduced pain in mouse models and human dorsal root ganglion tissue, with relief lasting up to 48 hours.
- Satellite glial cells were shown to deliver mitochondria to sensory neurons through tunneling nanotubes, revealing a previously underrecognized support mechanism.
- Boosting this transfer lowered pain behaviors in mice by as much as 50%, indicating functional benefits when neuronal energy supply is restored.
- The motor protein MYO10 was essential for forming the nanotubes; disrupting it decreased mitochondrial transfer and increased pain susceptibility in mice.
- Direct injection of isolated mitochondria into the dorsal root ganglia reduced pain only when donors were healthy, as mitochondria from people with diabetes had no effect, and the approach remains at an early, preclinical stage requiring further imaging, delivery, and safety studies.