Opportunity

Mitochondria are commonly referred to as the powerhouse of the cell, and any change in mitochondrial function can drastically alter normal cell function.  Diseases including neurodegeneration and cancer have been linked to changes in mitochondrial transfer between cells, which can weaken the functioning of healthy cells. Although studying this relationship is of high importance to pharmacological research, critical limitations exist in doing so. Current methods for tracking mitochondria, like the use of dyes and genetically-encoded fluorescent markers, face drawbacks such as false positives and a lack of quantifiable data during mitochondrial transfer. Unlike with nuclear DNA, methods to accurately edit mitochondrial DNA with a reporter gene, which could trace which cells receive mitochondria and how cells fare over time, are limited. Developing an accurate method to evaluate the effects of mitochondrial transfer would provide biotech companies with a valuable tool and greatly improve our understanding of how conditions like cancer develop. The development of new therapeutic approaches against mitochondrial transfer is a goal with high potential for the treatment and prevention of neurological disorders and cancer.

Breakthrough in Mitochondrial Transfer Research

Researchers at the University of South Alabama have developed a technology with the potential to indefinitely identify and track cells on the receiving end of mitochondrial transfer. When mitochondrial transfer occurs, genetically-edited donor cells are modified to express a reporter protein to produce an efficient and stable fluorescent marker.  This technology can permanently mark cells acquiring mitochondria by providing high signal-to noise fluorescence. 

Additionally, researchers have also developed a complementary approach to evaluate the rate of mitochondrial transfer in real time. This technology uses an enzymatic cascade from mitochondrial transfer to study changes in cell function in the duration of hours or days. These two techniques for quantifiable mitochondrial transfer have great potential for applications in pharmacological research, clinical testing, and the development of new therapeutic techniques.

Competitive Advantages

• Allows accurate tracing of the mitochondrial lineage of cancer growth, including tumors and metastases;
• Allows cells receiving mitochondria in multiple biological situations to be accurately monitored, in vitro and in vivo;
• Creates the potential to develop new animal genetic models to study mitochondrial transfer;
• Enables the development of new therapeutic approaches against mitochondrial transfer.

Intellectual Property Status

Patent Pending