Mitochondrial transplant: Unravelling a promising treatment for ocular diseases

Mitochondrial transplantation is an upcoming therapeutic modality where transfer of healthy robust mitochondria bio-enhances metabolically dysfunctional cells or tissues. Though the concept of MT germinated in early 1980s in a bid to develop antibiotic resistance between cells, this innovative treatment has since undergone various breakthroughs in addressing metabolic dysfunction in various systemic diseases. Four decades since its advent, MT is now being applied in the field of Ophthalmology, where metabolic disorders affecting various ocular tissues contribute significantly to disease pathogenesis. Encouraged by the success of MT in other organs such as heart, lung and brain, this therapy has recently been applied to ocular disorders. MT is an emerging ocular therapy, with promising therapeutic outcomes for corneal, optic nerve, and retinal disorders. However, before it can be adopted as a "bench to bedside" therapy for ocular disorders, MT faces several potential bottlenecks. This review provides an overview of mitochondrial biology in eye diseases, summarizes the current state-of-the-art in ocular MT, whilst discussing challenges and future direction of bringing MT into clinical practice.