Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chemotherapy is associated with side effects, such as damage to myeloid cells and a reduction in the number of immune cells in patients. In addition, tumor cells hijack the mitochondria of immune cells through tunnel nanotubes, thereby weakening immune ability.

In this study the effects of direct mitochondria transplantation on cancer cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic sensitivity were determined, as well as anti-tumor immunity in in vitro and in vivo lung cancer models.

A combination of mitochondrial transplantation and cisplatin chemotherapy was shown for the first time to significantly improve immune infiltration of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and overcome the shortcomings of cisplatin chemotherapy, including damage to myeloid cells and a reduction in the number of immune cells.

The findings of the current study provide valuable recommendations for enhancing immune infiltration and augmenting anti-tumor efficacy during chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC. In addition, the findings support “mitochondrial transfer” as a novel paradigm in tumor treatment.