Mitochondria are the powerhouses that provide our bodies' cells with the energy they need to function. So when mitochondrial genes go awry, the result is hereditary disorders that wreak havoc on organs with high energy requirements, like the brain and the heart. In September, researchers announced that they had demonstrated a way to replace defective mitochondria with healthy ones. Moreover, they were able to perform the repair before an egg cell was even fertilized.
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