This Tiny Cellular Gate Could Be the Key to Curing Cancer - And Regrowing Hair

By University of Cambridge
April 18, 2025
5 Mins Read



Scientists have cracked the structure of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, a fuel gate inside our cells, after 50 years of speculation. The discovery could revolutionize treatment strategies for diseases ranging from diabetes to certain cancers. Credit: SciTechDaily.com


After more than five decades of mystery, scientists have finally unveiled the detailed structure and function of a long-theorized molecular machine in our mitochondria — the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier.

This microscopic gatekeeper controls how cells fuel themselves by transporting pyruvate, a key energy source, across mitochondrial membranes. Now visualized using cryo-electron microscopy, the carrier’s lock-like mechanism could be the key to tackling diseases like cancer, diabetes, and even hair loss. By blocking or modifying this gateway, researchers believe we could reroute how cells generate energy and develop powerful, targeted treatments.

Unlocking a Mitochondrial Mystery

After more than 50 years, scientists have finally uncovered how a tiny molecular machine inside our cells helps turn sugar into energy, a process essential for life.

Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Mitochondrial Biology Unit at the University of Cambridge have revealed the structure of this machine, which works like a canal lock to move a molecule called pyruvate into the mitochondria — the parts of our cells often called the “powerhouses.” Pyruvate is produced when our bodies break down sugars, and it plays a key role in energy production.

Visualizing the Invisible

This machine, known as the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, was first proposed in 1971. But only now have scientists been able to visualize it at the atomic level, using a powerful imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy, which magnifies structures up to 165,000 times their size. The findings appear today (April 18) in Science Advances.

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