Mitochondrial swap for immune evasion
Immune cells can destroy cancer, but tumors often evade such responses but mechanisms of such processes remain unclear.
The researchers report that cancer cells obtain functional mitochondria from immune cells called T cells that infiltrate the tumor. In exchange, the cancer cells return mitochondria that harbor mutations and these organelles impair the T cells’ antitumor immune response.
T cells that acquire mtDNA mutations from cancer cells exhibit metabolic abnormalities and senescence, with defects in effector functions and memory formation. This in turn leads to impaired antitumor immunity both in vitro and in vivo.
This bidirectional exchange of mitochondria enables cancer cells to support their metabolic needs while simultaneously creating favorable conditions for tumor growth.
