Photosynthetic chimeric stem cells function as mitochondrial batteries
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai 200011, PR China.
- 2Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China.
- 3Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery Department, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
- 4Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, National-Regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen 518060, China.
- 5MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China.
- 6Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
- 7Shanghai National Center for Applied Mathematics (SJTU Center) & Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
- 8College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China.
- 9ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311215, China.
Abstract
Therapies built on mitochondrial transfer hold promise for repairing dysfunctional, energy-deficient cells. Still, mesenchymal stem cells used as mitochondrial donors are limited by poor engraftment, risk of aberrant differentiation, and low transfer efficiency. Herein, we constructed photosynthesis-empowered cross-kingdom chimeric stem cells (PCSs; "mitochondrial battery") by introducing plant-derived thylakoid-based artificial nuclei plus FGF21-encoding messenger RNA (mRNA) into enucleated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Photosynthetic activity enhances mitochondrial transfer to restore metabolism in damaged cells and elevates anabolism to increase FGF21 production. Sustained FGF21 release promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and sustains long-term cellular energy homeostasis. Mouse and porcine wound healing models demonstrate that PCSs recharge cellular energy to accelerate wound repair. This light-activated cellular photosynthetic platform supports modular mRNA programmability, shows no engraftment or aberrant differentiation, and allows repeated administration for diverse therapeutic applications.
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BibTeX
@article{chen2026photosynthetic,
title = {{Photosynthetic chimeric stem cells function as mitochondrial batteries}},
author = {Zhengtai Chen and Hanxiao Sun and Yuanyang Zheng and Xuan Jiang and Yan He and Kai Ye and Yufan Zhang and Zhengwei Mao and Ziyi Zhou and Xiaoxi Lin and Chenggang Yi and Wei Wang},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aef8069},
url = {https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aef8069},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Photosynthetic chimeric stem cells function as mitochondrial batteries
AU - Zhengtai Chen
AU - Hanxiao Sun
AU - Yuanyang Zheng
AU - Xuan Jiang
AU - Yan He
AU - Kai Ye
AU - Yufan Zhang
AU - Zhengwei Mao
AU - Ziyi Zhou
AU - Xiaoxi Lin
AU - Chenggang Yi
AU - Wei Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aef8069
UR - https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/sciadv.aef8069
AB - Therapies built on mitochondrial transfer hold promise for repairing dysfunctional, energy-deficient cells. Still, mesenchymal stem cells used as mitochondrial donors are limited by poor engraftment, risk of aberrant differentiation, and low transfer efficiency. Herein, we constructed photosynthesis-empowered cross-kingdom chimeric stem cells (PCSs; "mitochondrial battery") by introducing plant-derived thylakoid-based artificial nuclei plus FGF21-encoding messenger RNA (mRNA) into enucleated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Photosynthetic activity enhances mitochondrial transfer to restore metabolism in damaged cells and elevates anabolism to increase FGF21 production. Sustained FGF21 release promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and sustains long-term cellular energy homeostasis. Mouse and porcine wound healing models demonstrate that PCSs recharge cellular energy to accelerate wound repair. This light-activated cellular photosynthetic platform supports modular mRNA programmability, shows no engraftment or aberrant differentiation, and allows repeated administration for diverse therapeutic applications.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -