'Breakthrough': 1 molecule may be promising treatment for family of devastating mitochondrial...

Mitochondria — the powerhouses of cells — carry unique DNA that is mutated in specific diseases, causing cells to be starved of energy. Now, scientists have uncovered a first-of-its-kind molecule that can reverse the effects of common mutations behind these genetic disorders.
"They [the mutations] can cause very different diseases for which no cure is available," said Carlo Viscomi, an associate professor in the University of Padova's Department of Biomedical Science and Padua Neuroscience Center in Italy.
"I think the paper really makes a breakthrough," said Viscomi, who was not involved in the research but previously collaborated with some of the authors. "It may open amazing possibilities for these conditions."