Intercellular Nanotube Mitochondrial Transplantation Strategy Mediating T Cell “Supercharging”

The functional exhaustion of T cells in the tumor immune microenvironment is closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Current mitochondrial-targeted strategies have failed to restore the mitochondrial impaired function effectively. Mitochondrial transplantation technology has brought a revolution to the treatment of organelle-related diseases. Here, we first summarize the therapeutic potential and available platforms for mitochondrial transplantation, and focus on a type of mitochondrial transplantation technology mediated by tunneling nanotubes. This technology transfers functional mitochondria from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to CD8⁺ T cells, obtaining "supercharged T cells", which markedly enhance the metabolic adaptability and antitumor efficacy of T cells. It provides new ideas and technical platforms for the application of organelle medicine in tumor immunotherapy.