MINTRAF · Cell-Cell Communication by Mitochondrial Intercellular Traffic

Mitochondrial research has consistently yielded surprising discoveries, such as the presence of their own DNA, use of a distinct genetic code, and their role in apoptosis. Recently, the proposal of intracellular mitochondrial transfer (ICMT) in vivo has sparked considerable interest, as this process is believed to hold significant therapeutic potential. This has generated growing public and private economical and scientific effort aimed at exploring ICMT as a potential treatment for common and rare diseases (ischemic reperfusion injury in heart, brain, kidney, etc.; mitochondrial diseases; delay in aging among others). However, there are still significant lack of knowledge, particularly regarding the proposed cellular mechanism of action, with insufficient experimental validation. Additionally, there are no studies on the physiological consequences, modulation, and functional roles of ICTM. A largely overlooked aspect is that mitochondria contain their own DNA. Therefore, if biogenetically competent mtDNA is transmitted by ICTM, the recipient cell become genetically modified. Such phenomenon has so far only been demonstrated in cancer. Therefore, any treatment with mitochondria could be classified as a form of genetic therapy. MINTRAF will establish a new strategy to determine the existence, extent and physiological relevance of ICMT. It will also investigate the maintenance of mtDNA biogenetic competence and the context where this process occurs. To achieve this, we will exploit our unique conplastic and heteroplasmic animal models to: (1) determine the extent, relevance and physiological impact of intercellular mitochondrial transfer; (2) decipher the role of ICMT as signalling process in tumour context; and (3) assess the extent, relevance and physiological impact of the horizontal mtDNA transfer in medical interventions.