The present invention provides compositions and methods for using correctional RNA, with a proteinaceous carrier, to stimulate respiration of the cells, tissues, organs or the whole organism of normal or diseased subjects. In one embodiment of the invention, the signal-tagged correctional RNA is one or more protein-coding RNAs (pcRNA) that encode one or more of human mitochondrial proteins. The invention specifically provides a broad-spectrum formulation applicable to a wide variety of disorders that are associated with mitochondrial mutations.