{
  "abstract": "Tumor progression is driven by cancer cells’ ability to establish a cellular network through tunneling nanotube-like connections (TNTs), which enable mitochondrial exchange both within the tumor cells and with the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the functional consequences of mitochondrial transfer between tumor and non-tumor cells, and its occurrence in vivo, remain poorly understood. Here we show bidirectional mitochondrial transfer between Glioblastoma (GBM) cells and non-tumoral astrocytes (AS). We report that transfer of damaged mitochondria from GBM cells to AS is associated with activation of mitophagy in recipient cells, while astrocyte-derived mitochondria to GBM cells correlates with changes in mitochondrial activity and metabolic readouts. Furthermore, intravital subcellular microscopy (ISMic) in a live animal model allows the visualization of TNT connections with characteristics similar to those observed in vitro and supported TNT-mediated mitochondrial transfer in vivo. These findings reveal a potential mechanism of tumor adaptation and highlight TNTs as promising therapeutic targets.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ines Saenz-De-Santa-Maria"
    },
    {
      "name": "Anna Pepe"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jean-Yves Tinevez"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christel Brou"
    },
    {
      "name": "Iakov Vitrenko"
    },
    {
      "name": "Thomas Cokelaer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elizabeth Cohen-Jonathan Moyal"
    },
    {
      "name": "Roberto Weigert"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chiara Zurzolo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5qxxrp19zf2jj.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-76619-9",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "5qxxrp19zf2jj",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723",
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://pasteur.hal.science/pasteur-05669755v2",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "1.sdv.bc"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Mitochondrial Function and Pathology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213303885",
  "pdf_url": "https://pasteur.hal.science/pasteur-05669755/document",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42744791",
  "published": "2026-06-15",
  "publisher": "Nature Publishing Group",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5qxxrp19zf2jj.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:47Z",
      "native_id": "pasteur-05669755",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://pasteur.hal.science/pasteur-05669755v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "hal:1.sdv.bc",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Tunneling nanotubes mediate mitochondrial homeostasis in cancer",
  "title_text": "Tunneling nanotubes mediate mitochondrial homeostasis in cancer",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:47Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5qxxrp19zf2jj",
  "venue": "Nature Communications",
  "versions": []
}