Refresh cognition... Cancer cells will actively attack immune cells and steal each other’s mitochondria

We may often see some studies claiming how cancer cells cleverly evade the pursuit of immune cells, and eventually become latent and grow slowly

A study in "Nature-Nanotechnology" completely overturned some previous assumptions.

The new study found that when cancer cells and immune cells coexist, the former will stretch out extremely tiny "tentacles" to steal substances necessary for survival from neighbors

Under normal circumstances, certain cells do grow nanotubes that look like tentacles.

Cancer cells have also learned this method in the evolution process, but instead of exchanging amicably, they directly steal each other's mitochondria for their own use

In the new study, Dr.

▲There is a nano-scale pipeline between cancer cells and T cells (picture source: reference [3])

And in some cases, several nanotubes will converge to form a thicker channel

Do these nanotubes have similar functions to those of normal cells? The researchers decided to use fluorescent staining to label the chromosomes in T cells for real-time tracking

In addition, cancer cells not only have to grab the mitochondria of T cells, but also consume the surrounding oxygen frantically

▲Nanotubes can help cancer cells acquire mitochondria (picture source: reference [3])

Here, cancer cells take mitochondria to live up to the wind, and T cells that have lost mitochondria become weak.

In addition to mouse cancer cells, human thymic cancer and breast cancer cells can also produce nanotubes to steal mitochondria when co-cultured with T cells, indicating that this method is a common mechanism for cancer cell survival

▲Prevent the formation of nanotubes or become a new anti-cancer direction (picture source: reference [2], credit: Tanmoy Saha)

Fortunately, this process can be completely prevented

Note: The original text has been deleted

Reference materials:

[1] Cancer cells use'tiny tentacles' to suppress the immune system.

[2] Cancer cells steal energy-generating parts from immune cells.

[3] Hae Jang, Intercellular nanotubes mediate mitochondrial trafficking between cancer and immune cells, Nature Nanotechnology (2021).