The scientists behind the research believe that the new approach opens the way to developing stem-cell treatments that restore the energy supply to the most affected tissues, leading to new therapies and possibly even cures.
"To families with a loved-one born with a mitochondrial disease waiting for a cure, today we can say that a cure is on the horizon," said Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, who led the study published in the journal Nature.