The immune system plays a key role in detecting and destroying cancer cells. Cancer immunotherapy works by programming immune cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, many cancers can escape immune surveillance through various mechanisms, resulting in resistance to treatment. This highlights the need to better understand the molecular processes that enable immune evasion.Â
The tumor microenvironment (TME)-the space surrounding a tumor-plays a critical role in interactions between cancer and immune cells. Cancer cells can reshape the TME to their advantage, weakening tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), the immune cells that attack tumor. Mitochondria, also known as the ‘powerhouse of the cell,’ are small organelles that produce energy for various cellular processes. They play a significant role in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and TILs. However, precise mechanisms underlying mitochondrial dysfunction and its impact on the TME are poorly understood.
To address this knowledge gap, a team of researchers led by Professor Yosuke Togashi from Okayama University, Japan, has uncovered novel insights into mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer immune evasion. Working alongside Tatsuya Nishi and Tomofumi Watanabe from Okayama University, as well as Hideki Ikeda, Katsushige Kawase, and Masahito Kawazu from the Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, the team identified mitochondrial transfer as a key mechanism of immune evasion. This study was published online in Nature on January 22, 2025. Prof. Togashi explains, “We have discovered mitochondrial transfer as one of the key mechanisms of immune evasion. Our research adds a new dimension to the understanding of how tumors resist