Mitochondrial Transfer (MT)

Mitochondrial transfer (MT) is the movement of whole or fragmented mitochondria from one cell to another, most commonly through direct cell-cell contact via tunneling nanotubes. It is increasingly recognized as a general mode of intercellular communication that can reshape the metabolism, stress responses, and functional state of both the donor and recipient cell. In cancer, tumor cells can acquire mitochondria from surrounding immune and stromal cells; depending on the source and fate of the transferred mitochondria, this exchange can alter recipient-cell metabolism and, when the transferred mitochondria fuse with and destabilize the endogenous mitochondrial network, trigger cytosolic release of mitochondrial DNA that activates innate immune DNA-sensing pathways.