Why fixing mitochondria could be the key to Parkinson's

What are mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the batteries of our bodies. They convert fuel from the food we eat into energy and move around our cells, delivering energy wherever it's needed to enable our cells to do their jobs.

What happens to mitochondria in Parkinson's?

Research funded by Parkinson’s UK, and using brain tissue donated to the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank, first revealed that the brains of people with Parkinson’s have problems with tiny energy-producing batteries called mitochondria.

Every cell in our body has mitochondria but brain cells need an unusually high amount of energy to function properly. This is especially true for the dopamine-producing brain cells that are lost in Parkinson's. This means they are very reliant on their mitochondria. Any disruption can leave them vulnerable and may eventually lead to cell death.

Our research has helped to unravel the complex role of mitochondria in Parkinson’s and today we're seeing the first wave of treatments specifically designed to rescue malfunctioning mitochondria.

Investing in new treatments to fix mitochondria

Through our Virtual Biotech programme, we have 11 active projects in the UK and abroad to accelerate the development of life-changing new treatments for Parkinson’s. Two of these projects are focused on mitochondria and are entering clinical trials to be tested for the first time in people with Parkinson’s.

NRG therapeutics

In July 2019, we announced our partnership with NRG Therapeutics Ltd to find ways to boost the functioning of mitochondria in Parkinson's.

The company has made rapid progress to develop NRG5051 - a tablet designed to help repair damage to the mitochondria, and with great potential for slowing or stopping Parkinson’s.

In September 2025, NRG Therapeutics announced that they had raised £50 million from other sources to advance their drug into clinical trials.

The upcoming clinical trials, set to begin in 2026, will focus on assessing the drug’s safety and making sure it behaves as expected in human brain cells.

Mission Therapeutics 

In July 2024, we announced a partnership with Mission Therapeutics and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to see whether a potential new treatment, MTX325, is safe, gets into the brain and improves energy production in brain cells of people with Parkinson's. 

MTX325 has been designed to help get rid of faulty mitochondria. By removing ‘problem mitochondria’ the team hope to protect dopamine-producing brain cells and ultimately slow or even stop the progression of the condition.

MTX325 is currently being tested in healthy individuals to understand its safety. This is vital as it is the first time this compound is being given to people. It then plans to be trialled in 50 people with Parkinson’s, over 28 days, across multiple sites in the UK and other European countries.

The clinical trial is being planned and we hope to be able to share further details early in 2026.

Getting closer to game-changing treatments

Decades of investment have helped us reach the point where exciting ideas for new treatments targeting mitochondria are becoming a reality.

We’re proud to have played a pivotal role from the very early research to understand the role of mitochondria in Parkinson’s, right through to investing in companies working to create pioneering new therapies targeting mitochondria.

Thanks to you and your amazing support, we're working tirelessly to find a cure for Parkinson's. We're unravelling what causes it and creating exciting new treatments. We won't stop until we get there.