A Nanotube Injector for Cytoplasmic Transfer and Enhanced Mitochondrial Function

The intercellular transportation of molecules is crucial for regulating cell communication and function. However, the existing techniques for molecule transfer across cell barriers often cause cellular damage or have low transfer efficiencies. To address these limitations, this study proposes an innovative nanotube membrane-based injector (nanoinjector) system capable of extracting diverse cytoplasmic molecules from source cells and transferring them to target cells. The developed system demonstrates high efficiency, with over 95% viability and 90% transfer efficiency. Additionally, it enables mitochondrial transfer, which enhances cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by up to 25% within 24 h. This study explores the impact of intracellular content transport, enabled by this new tool, on cellular activities, with promising implications for cell surgery and therapy.