To grow and spread, cancer cells must evade the immune system. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT used the power of nanotechnology to discover a new way that cancer can disarm its would-be cellular attackers by extending out nanoscale tentacles that can reach into an immune cell and pull out its powerpack. Slurping out the immune cell’s mitochondria powers up the cancer cell and depletes the immune cell. The new findings, published in Nature Nanotechnology, could lead to new targets for developing the next generation of immunotherapy against cancer.
“Cancer kills when the immune system is suppressed and cancer cells are able to metastasize, and it appears that nanotubes can help them do both,” said corresponding author Shiladitya Sengupta, Ph.D., co-director of the Brigham’s Center for Engineered Therapeutics. “This is a completely new mechanism by which cancer cells evade the immune system and it gives us a new target to go after.”
To investigate how cancer cells and immune cells interact at the nanoscale level, Sengupta and colleagues set up experiments in which they co-cultured breast cancer cells and immune cells, such as T cells. Using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, they caught a glimpse of something unusual: Cancer cells and immune cells appeared to be physically connected by tiny tendrils, with widths mostly in the 100-1000 nanometer range. (For comparison, a human hair is approximately 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers). In some cases, the nanotubes came together to form thicker tubes. The team then stained mitochondria—which provide energy for cells—from the T cells with a fluorescent dye and watched as bright green mitochondria were pulled out of the immune cells, through the nanotubes, and into the cancer cells.
“By carefully preserving the cell culture condition and observing intracellular structures, we saw these delicate nanotubes and they were stealing the immune cells‘ energy source,” said co-corresponding author Hae Lin Jang, Ph.D., a principal investigator in the Center for Engineered Therapeutics. “It was very exciting because this kind of behavior had never been observed before in cancer cells. This was a tough project as the nanotubes are fragile and we had to handle the cells very gently to not break them.”
The researchers then looked to see what would happen if they prevented the cancer cells from hijacking mitochondria. When they injected an inhibitor of nanotube formation into mouse models used for studying lung cancer and breast cancer, they saw a significant reduction in tumor growth.
“One of the goals in cancer immunotherapy is to find combinations of therapies that can improve outcomes,” said lead author Tanmoy Saha, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Engineered Therapeutics. “Based on our observations, there is evidence that an inhibitor of nanotube formation could be combined with cancer immunotherapies and tested to see if it can improve outcomes for patients.”
News
AI-designed universal coronavirus vaccine clears first human trial
Key Takeaways Super-Antigen Technology: Uses AI and machine learning to analyze viral genomes, creating a single vaccine that targets essential features across entire virus families, including coronaviruses and Ebola. Human Trials & Safety: Phase [...]
Researchers Discover a Hidden Vitamin D Problem That Persists Year-Round
A new study suggests that some groups may not experience the expected seasonal boost in vitamin D levels, even during the sunniest months of the year. Many people assume that spending more time outdoors [...]
Researchers Solve the Mystery Behind a Billion-Dollar Dental Implant Disease
Researchers have uncovered why a common and costly dental implant infection often resists antibiotics. Dental implants have helped tens of millions of people regain a full set of stable, functional teeth, something traditional dentures [...]
Nanoparticles inspired by lung fluid improve therapies targeting respiratory system
The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed pulmonary surfactant nanoparticles (the blend of lipids and proteins that line the alveoli and enables breathing), which are encapsulated [...]
Scientists Finally Uncover How a “Forever Chemical” Causes Birth Defects
PFDA, a PFAS “forever chemical,” can cause craniofacial birth defects by disrupting retinoic acid regulation during fetal development, revealing the first clear molecular mechanism behind the link. Researchers have long linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), [...]
Scientists Have Discovered These Deadly Parasites Are Secretly Swapping DNA
Leishmania parasites appear to evolve through widespread genetic exchange, reshaping assumptions about how they adapt and spread. A parasite long thought to spread mostly by cloning itself may be far more genetically dynamic than [...]
Stanford’s Revolutionary New Microscope Reveals Living Cells in Stunning Detail
Stanford researchers have developed a microscope that can show how nanostructures interact inside living cells at the highest resolution achieved so far. The view into living cells just got better. Stanford researchers have merged [...]
What Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines and treatments are under development
By Mariam Sunny and Jennifer Rigby May 29 (Reuters) – Global health authorities are racing to identify medical options to help contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, linked to the [...]
Why More People in Their 30s Are Suddenly Getting Colon Cancer
A major Swiss study found that colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common in adults under 50, even as rates decline in older age groups. Researchers in Switzerland have identified a concerning trend: while colorectal [...]
Researchers Compare MS Models to Human Tissue in Search for Better Therapies
Researchers identified key differences between two widely used multiple sclerosis models, showing how each can better study myelin damage, immune responses, and repair. The findings may improve efforts to develop treatments that restore lost [...]
Scientists Discover Genetic “Off Switch” That Supercharges CAR T Cells Against Cancer
A new study reveals a possible way to make CAR T-cell therapy more durable and effective by targeting a single gene-regulating protein. CAR T-cell therapy is widely seen as a breakthrough in personalized cancer [...]
New Vitamin B12-Based Therapy Could Change How Brain Cancer Is Treated
Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that appears capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and selectively accumulating in glioblastoma tissue. For decades, one of the biggest problems in brain cancer treatment has had [...]
Simple Fiber Supplement Cuts Knee Arthritis Pain in Just 6 Weeks, Study Finds
A daily inulin supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain while revealing a possible link between gut health, muscle function, and pain sensitivity. For millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, managing chronic pain [...]
This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention. More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which [...]
Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?
Funding cuts to health research and a growing antivaccine movement are making it harder than ever to respond to viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and [...]
May 2026 Healthcare News and Trends: Market Signals That Matter
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, telehealth has settled into a new normal, and digital health continues to promise transformation. However, much of what is being discussed in healthcare today reflects potential rather than reality. [...]
