Author: Li Yuchao 

Publisher: College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering 

Date: January 23, 2025

Prof. Li Baojun's research team from the Nanophotonics Research Institute at the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering has made groundbreaking advancements in subcellular optical manipulation. Their innovative work, titled Intercellular Tunneling Nanotubes as Natural Biophotonic Conveyors, has been published as a cover paper in the prestigious journal ACS Nano.

Key Contributions

The research introduces a novel concept of using intercellular tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) as biological optical conveyor belts. This method allows for directional transport and controlled release of organelles, such as mitochondria, within cells, offering precise and non-destructive optical techniques for studying cell-cell interactions.

1. Understanding Tunneling Nanotubes (TNTs): TNTs are submicrometer membranous channels that connect distant cells, playing a crucial role in intercellular communication. They facilitate organelle transfer, which is essential for regulating cell growth, signal transmission, and the progression of diseases.

2. Optical Manipulation Technique: The team developed an optical technique that utilizes TNTs as biophotonic conveyors. By applying near-infrared light along the TNTs, they exert optical forces on organelles, enabling their active transport in a controlled direction and at a specified velocity.

3. Applications:

   - Inhibition of Mitochondrial Hijacking: The TNT conveyors were used to prevent the transfer of mitochondria from immune cells to cancer cells, thereby activating immune responses and suppressing cancer growth.

   - Neural Modulation: The research also demonstrated the transport of mitochondria and neurotransmitter-containing vesicles between neurons using TNT and axonal conveyors, highlighting potential applications in neural regulation.

Significance

This study presents a robust and precise approach for manipulating organelle transfer at the subcellular level, paving the way for advancements in immune activation and neural regulation. The findings contribute significantly to the understanding of intercellular communication and offer new methodologies for biomedical applications.

The first author of the paper is postdoctoral fellow Gong Zhiyong, with Associate Prof. Li Yuchao, Prof. Li Baojun, and Prof. Zhang Yao serving as co-corresponding authors.

For further details, you can access the full paper here: ACS Nano

(https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsnano.4c12681).