ACS applied materials & interfacesJul 6, 2026

Using Tiny Droplets to Move Healthy Mitochondria into Aging Stem Cells to Reduce Cell Aging

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jul 7, 2026

Abstract

The platform achieved 29.2% single-cell droplets with a mitochondrial transfer efficiency of up to 56%.

Mitochondrial transfer may enhance the functioning of senescent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
The inertial-focusing-assisted droplet microfluidic platform allows for high-throughput and precise control of mitochondrial transfer.
Transferring 19 mitochondria from young adipose-derived MSCs to senescent ADSCs improved their proliferation and metabolic activities.
The method reduced markers associated with cellular aging and reverted the senescent cells to a younger, MSC-like state.
This technique could provide a novel approach for addressing mitochondrial-related diseases.

Simplified

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used for tissue repair and regeneration, but prolonged in vitro expansion induces senescence and limits their therapeutic efficacy. Given the key role of mitochondria in cellular senescence and metabolic regulation, mitochondrial transfer may offer a promising strategy for ameliorating senescence-associated phenotypes. However, conventional mitochondrial transfer methods, such as coculture and microinjection, are limited by poor quantitative control, low throughput, and potential cell damage. Here, an inertial-focusing-assisted droplet microfluidic platform was developed for high-throughput, high-efficiency, and quantitative control of mitochondrial transfer at the single-cell level. The platform achieved 29.2% single-cell droplets and 1.3% multicell droplets, with a transfer efficiency of up to 56% at a droplet generation rate exceeding 4000 Hz. Using this platform, the transfer of 19 mitochondria from young adipose-derived MSCs (ADSCs) to senescent ADSCs enhanced proliferation capacity and metabolic activities, reduced senescence-associated markers, and transformed the senescent phenotype into a young MSC-like phenotype. The developed technique provides a cell therapy strategy for mitochondrial-related diseases.

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Using Tiny Droplets to Move Healthy Mitochondria into Aging Stem Cells to Reduce Cell Aging

Abstract

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