Brain HealthDuke Scientists Recharge Damaged Nerves With Healthy Mitochondria to Halt Chronic Pain
Chronic nerve pain affects millions and is notoriously hard to treat. Duke University scientists discovered that damaged nerves may lose function because their mitochondria — the energy-producing structures inside cells — stop working properly. By supplying damaged nerve cells with healthy mitochondria, or boosting natural transfer between support cells and neurons, researchers reduced pain significantly in mouse models of diabetic neuropathy and chemotherapy-related nerve damage. In some cases, relief lasted up to 48 hours. The study, published in Nature, also identified a key protein called MYO10 that enables mitochondria to travel between cells through tiny tunnel-like structures. This approach targets a root cause of nerve pain rather than simply masking signals, opening a potentially transformative new direction for treatment.
