Researchers here suggest that mixing mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in the same individual has long-term negative consequences to health, though the precise mechanisms by which this happens have yet to be determined. This has the most relevance to ongoing work on mitochondrial transplants as a way to restore mitochondrial function in old people. Fortunately mitochondrial DNA is not completely unique to the individual. There is a large but limited number of haplotypes, so matching to a patient would be more akin to blood type matching for transfusions than having to produce a distinct set of material for each patient. It does raise the question of whether the goal of <a href="https://…
Evidence for Mitochondrial Transfusion to Require Matched Mitochondrial DNA
Researchers here suggest that mixing mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in the same individual has long-term negative consequences to health, though the precise mechanisms by which this happens have yet to be determined. This has the most relevance to ongoing work on mitochondrial transplants as a way to restore mitochondrial function in old people. Fortunately mitochondrial DNA is not completely unique to the individual. There is a large but limited number of haplotypes, so matching to a patient would be more akin to blood type matching for transfusions than having to produce a distinct set of material for each patient. It does raise the question of whether the goal of <a href="https://…