{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T14:51:16Z","timestamp":1789051876196,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]],"date-time":"2025-07-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753142400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Mitochondrial transfer, the intercellular transmission of mitochondria via tunneling nanotubes(TNTs), extracellular vesicles(Evs), or cell fusion, has emerged as a critical mechanism in cancer progression. Increasing evidence suggests that this phenomenon not only supports tumor cell metabolism and drug resistance but also contributes to immune evasion, a hallmark of cancer.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aims to systematically explore the intellectual structure, research hotspots, and emerging trends of mitochondrial transfer in tumor immune evasion using bibliometric and visualization tools.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Publications from 2003 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analyze annual outputs, co-occurring keywords, citation bursts, clustering patterns, and co-cited references.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 124 records were analyzed. The number of publications increased sharply after 2017, indicating growing research interest. Key terms such as \u201ctunneling nanotubes,\u201d \u201cmitochondrial transfer,\u201d and \u201cimmune escape\u201d were frequently co-mentioned. Although \u201cimmune escape\u201d is retained here to reflect the exact terminology used in the bibliometric database (Web of Science Core Collection), the manuscript text consistently adopts the term \u201cimmune evasion\u201d for conceptual clarity and terminological standardization. Timeline cluster analysis identified several sustained hotspots, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), stromal cells, and the cancer microenvironment. Citation burst analysis revealed emerging attention toward \u201cexpression,\u201d \u201cstem cells,\u201d and \u201ctumor microenvironment\u201d in recent years.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Mitochondrial transfer has transitioned from a structural phenomenon to a key immunological modulator in cancer. This bibliometric analysis highlights its central role in immune evasion and identifies future research directions for therapeutic exploitation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1625814","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]],"date-time":"2025-07-22T04:13:17Z","timestamp":1753157597000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Unveiling mitochondrial transfer in tumor immune evasion: mechanisms, challenges, and clinical implications"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Ruoyan","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wenhui","family":"Shan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhening","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chunyan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lei","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1158\/2159-8290.CD-21-1059","article-title":"Hallmarks of cancer: new dimensions","volume":"12","author":"Hanahan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cancer Discov"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41577-020-0275-8","article-title":"Dissecting the mechanisms of immune checkpoint therapy","volume":"20","author":"Sharma","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat Rev Immunol"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18632\/oncotarget.14695","article-title":"Tunneling nanotubes promote intercellular mitochondria transfer followed by increased invasiveness in bladder cancer cells","volume":"8","author":"Lu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncotarget"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1186\/s13046-024-03069-w","article-title":"Mitochondrial transfer in tunneling nanotubes-a new target for cancer therapy","volume":"43","author":"Guan","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Exp Clin Cancer Res"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nm.2736","article-title":"Mitochondrial transfer from bone-marrow-derived stromal cells to pulmonary alveoli protects against acute lung injury","volume":"18","author":"Islam","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"89","DOI":"10.1186\/s40364-023-00529-x","article-title":"Mitochondrial transfer in hematological Malignancies","volume":"11","author":"Guo","year":"2023","journal-title":"biomark Res"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2016.00107","article-title":"Mitochondria know no boundaries: mechanisms and functions of intercellular mitochondrial transfer","volume":"4","author":"Torralba","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front Cell Dev Biol"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmet.2014.12.003","article-title":"Mitochondrial genome acquisition restores respiratory function and tumorigenic potential of cancer cells without mitochondrial DNA","volume":"21","author":"Tan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Cell Metab"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/stem.2372","article-title":"Mitochondrial transfer via tunneling nanotubes is an important mechanism by which mesenchymal stem cells enhance macrophage phagocytosis in the in vitro and in vivo models of ARDS","volume":"34","author":"Jackson","year":"2016","journal-title":"Stem Cells"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1788","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ccell.2023.09.003","article-title":"Systematic investigation of mitochondrial transfer between cancer cells and T cells at single-cell resolution","volume":"41","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cancer Cell"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2017-03-772939","article-title":"NADPH oxidase-2 derived superoxide drives mitochondrial transfer from bone marrow stromal cells to leukemic blasts","volume":"130","author":"Marlein","year":"2017","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1182\/blood-2015-07-655860","article-title":"Protective mitochondrial transfer from bone marrow stromal cells to acute myeloid leukemic cells during chemotherapy","volume":"128","author":"Moschoi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-009-0146-3","article-title":"Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping","volume":"84","author":"van Eck","year":"2010","journal-title":"Scientometrics"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"eadi4298","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.adi4298","article-title":"Osteocyte mitochondria inhibit tumor development via STING-dependent antitumor immunity","volume":"10","author":"Zhou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Adv"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1038\/s41565-021-01000-4","article-title":"Intercellular nanotubes mediate mitochondrial trafficking between cancer and immune cells","volume":"17","author":"Saha","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nat Nanotechnol"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22063245","article-title":"Mitochondrial Transfer in Cancer: A Comprehensive Review","volume":"22","author":"Zampieri","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Mol Sci"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1158\/0008-5472.CAN-18-0773","article-title":"CD38-Driven Mitochondrial Trafficking Promotes Bioenergetic Plasticity in Multiple Myeloma","volume":"79","author":"Marlein","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cancer Res"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trecan.2020.04.012","article-title":"Tunneling Nanotubes: The Fuel of Tumor Progression","volume":"6","author":"Pinto","year":"2020","journal-title":"Trends Cancer"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1186\/1479-5876-11-94","article-title":"Preferential transfer of mitochondria from endothelial to cancer cells through tunneling nanotubes modulates chemoresistance","volume":"11","author":"Pasquier","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Transl Med"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.trsl.2014.05.011","article-title":"Tumor-stromal cross talk: direct cell-to-cell transfer of oncogenic microRNAs via tunneling nanotubes","volume":"164","author":"Thayanithy","year":"2014","journal-title":"Transl Res"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"994","DOI":"10.1002\/embj.201386030","article-title":"Miro1 regulates intercellular mitochondrial transport & enhances mesenchymal stem cell rescue efficacy","volume":"33","author":"Ahmad","year":"2014","journal-title":"EMBO J"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.22187","article-title":"Horizontal transfer of whole mitochondria restores tumorigenic potential in mitochondrial DNA-deficient cancer cells","volume":"6","author":"Dong","year":"2017","journal-title":"Elife"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Immunology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1625814\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]],"date-time":"2025-07-22T04:13:18Z","timestamp":1753157598000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1625814\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]]},"references-count":22,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1625814"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1625814","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-3224"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-3224","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,22]]},"article-number":"1625814"}}