Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Logo
  • About
  • Science
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage AnalysisBioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute Biorepository Genomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & Administrative Engagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • About
  • Science
    • Scientific Programs
    • Laboratories
    • Office of Research Development
    • Clinical & Translational Research
      Participating in Research
    • Departments
      Biomedical Engineering Cancer Biology Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences Florida Research & Innovation Center Genomic Medicine Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
      Infection Biology Inflammation & Immunity Neurosciences Ophthalmic Research Quantitative Health Sciences Translational Hematology & Oncology Research
    • Centers & Programs
      Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging Angiogenesis Center Cardiovascular Diagnostics & Prevention Computational Life Sciences Consortium for Pain Genitourinary Malignancies Research Genome Center
      Microbiome & Human Health Musculoskeletal Research Northern Ohio Alcohol Center Pathogen & Human Health Research Populations Health Research Quantitative Metabolic Research Therapeutics Discovery
  • Core Services
    • All Cores
    • Ohio
      3D Printing Bioimage Analysis BioRobotics & Mechanical Testing Cell Culture Cleveland Clinic BioRepository Computational Oncology Platform Computing Services Discovery Lab Electron Microscopy Electronics Engineering >
      Flow CytometryGenomic Medicine Institute BiorepositoryGenomics Glassware Histology Hybridoma Immunohistochemistry Immunomonitoring Lab Instrument Refurbishing & Repair Laboratory Diagnostic
      Lerner Research Institute BioRepository Light MicroscopyMechanical Prototyping Microbial Culturing & Engineering Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resources Media Preparation Molecular Biotechnology Nitinol Polymer Proteomics & Metabolomics Therapeutics Discovery
    • Florida
      Bioinformatics
      Flow Cytometry
      Imaging
  • Education & Training
    • Research Education & Training Center
    • Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program
      Research Intensive Summer Experience (RISE) Undergraduate & High School Programs
  • News
  • Careers
    • Faculty Positions Research Associate & Project Staff Postdoctoral Positions Technical & AdministrativeEngagement & Belonging
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Search

Research News

❮News New study outlines how brain cancer cells take mitochondria from healthy cells to grow and survive

05/11/2023

New study outlines how brain cancer cells take mitochondria from healthy cells to grow and survive

A mechanistic finding for glioblastoma shows mitochondria transfer to tumor cells is common and makes the cancer more aggressive.

Glioblastoma cancer cells use mitochondria from the central nervous system to grow and form more aggressive tumors, according to new Cleveland Clinic findings published in Nature Cancer.

The research showed that it’s common for healthy astrocytes – a type of glial cell with important functions in the central nervous system – to transfer the energy-producing organelles to glioblastoma cancer cells. When this process happens, it makes the cancer more deadly and the tumors more likely to grow. Researchers found that acquiring mitochondria boosted energy production and amplified cancer stem cells – cells with properties that already make cancer more difficult to treat.

“Defining the complex interactions glioblastoma cells have with the brain and nervous system is critical for developing new treatments,” says Justin Lathia, PhD, staff in Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences and the Melvin H. Burkhardt Endowed Chair for Neuro-Oncology Clinical Research. “We knew that this type of transfer was theoretically possible, but we didn’t know how relevant and dangerous it was in brain tumors.”

Cancers, including glioblastoma, are resilient in part because of resources in the environment, capitalizing on the body’s natural defenses to protect cancer cells. By determining how cancer cells interact with healthy cells to survive, researchers can design new treatments to block cancer from growing or resisting treatment.

This study investigated mitochondria transfer in glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of primary brain cancer. The paper’s first co-authors are Dionysios C. Watson, MD, PhD, previously of Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, and Defne Bayik, PhD, previously of Cleveland Clinic. Both are now at University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Mitochondria are essential components of normal cells, so-called “powerhouses” that also play a major role in signaling processes like cell death. There are thousands of mitochondria in each cell. Mitochondria transfer between cells is part of an emerging type of cell-to-cell interaction that is still being explained.

Mitochondria are essential to cancer cells too; chemotherapy and radiation can target mitochondria to destroy tumors. Previous studies established that mitochondria transfer can also happen in other neurological conditions, like stroke, but ongoing research is figuring out the impact of transfer on disease and how it happens.

When cancer cells receive mitochondria, it affects the processes that produce energy. The study found in glioblastoma, this boost supports cancer stem cell properties including self-renewal and tumorigenicity, Dr. Lathia says.

“Cancer – and cancer treatment – does not exist in a vacuum,” Dr. Lathia says. “You’re not just treating and researching the tumors alone, instead tapping into a diverse ecosystem. Further research into this pathway can identify new strategies for treating glioblastoma, but also has potential for understanding other types of cancer.”

Featured Experts
Justin Lathia Headshot
Justin
Lathia, PhD
News Category
news
Related News
Combination therapy targets tumor-associated macrophages in glioblastoma Common metabolite spermidine drives glioblastoma tumor progression by interfering with T cellsCombination glioblastoma treatment cures the disease in preclinical models of 'untreatable' drug-resistant brain cancer

Research areas

Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences

Want To Support Ground-Breaking Research at Cleveland Clinic?

Discover how you can help Cleveland Clinic save lives and continue to lead the transformation of healthcare.

Give to Cleveland Clinic

Subscribe to get the latest research news in your inbox.

About Lerner

About Us Careers Contact Us Donate People Directory

Science

Clinical & Translational Research Core Services Departments, Centers & Programs Laboratories Research News

Education & Training

Graduate Programs Molecular Medicine PhD Program Postdoctoral Program RISE Program Undergraduate & High School Programs

Site Information & Policies

Search Site Site Map Privacy Policy Social Media Policy

9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | © 2025 Lerner Research Institute