Horizontal transfer of mitochondria in cancer: The physiology reborn in disease?

Intercellular mitochondria transfer has emerged as a new form of cell-to-cell communication with profound consequences for cellular fate. A growing body of evidence defines mitochondria transfer between cells as a new pathological program in which cancer cells appropriate functional mitochondria from donor cells, thereby co-opting conserved physiological mechanisms of energy allocation to gain bioenergetic and phenotypic advantages. Our recent work demonstrates the prevalence of mitochondria transfer at the nerve-cancer interface, with neurons, though not exclusively, serving as a prominent source of the organelle. This suggests an unrecognized role of the nervous system in systemic energy redistribution and indicates that tumors may exploit this ancient, physiologically grounded mechanism to fuel progression and metastasis.