A mitochondrion is a tiny organelle that lives inside, and acts as a "powerplant" of our cells. Given this role, if mitochondria are damaged, many very serious problems can be expected. It is estimated that somewhere in the region of 4,000-8,000 children are born each and every year with one some form of Mitochondrial Disease.

Symptoms of the disease vary wildly, not just from patient to patient, but also between organs in an individual patient. Despite such variety, around 40 types of Mitochondrial Disease have been identified based on the most common symptoms.

While the symptoms are wide ranging, some of the most common include, but are not limited to, muscle weakness, developmental delays, learning disabilities, heart disease, diabetes, neuropsychological changes including disorientation and memory lose, right the way through to the extreme - death.

There is no cure and no reliable method of detection for mitochondria disease

While there is no current cure, and little can as yet be done to delay the symptoms, mitochondria disease is, in principle, curable. It is our mission to raise awareness of mitochondria disease, and raise money to fund the most promising lines of research.

Find out more about mitochondria disease