ArticleNature cell biology2009
Prions hijack tunnelling nanotubes for intercellular spread.
Article in Nature cell biology, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 348 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
348 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 591 citations in OpenAlex.
- Mitochondrial Transfer in the Neurovascular Unit, Not Only for Energy Rescue: A Systematic Review.Aging and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Roles of neuropathology-associated reactive astrocytes: a systematic review.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2023Pooled it
- Regulation and function of specialized membrane protrusions in intercellular communication.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology · 2026Review
- Blood-brain barrier and blood-tumoral barrier formation in glioblastoma: endothelial cells and glioblastoma stem cells at the immune-brain crossroad.Fluids and barriers of the CNS · 2026Review
- TDP-43 Aggregation: The Healthy-Toxic Balance of the Prion-Like Domain.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Review
- Article
- Tunneling nanotubes: a new dimension of intercellular communication and recent progress.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2026Review
- From energy provision to protein synthesis: Tunnelling nanotubes as mediators of intercellular metabolic cooperation in cancer.FEBS open bio · 2026Review
- The molecular architecture of tunneling nanotubes.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- BVDV NS5A Binds to CKAP2 and Activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway to Facilitate Virus Transmission Through Tunneling Nanotubes.Veterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Exosomes in Amyloid Propagation-Roles in Neurodegeneration.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Building the bridges: molecular mechanisms of tunneling nanotube formation.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Review
- Intercellular Mitochondrial Transfer: Implications in Cardiovascular Health.Circulation research · 2026Review
- The Brain-Gut Axis in Parkinson's Disease Pathology.Comprehensive Physiology · 2026Review
- Breaking cellular boundaries: molecular mechanisms of tunneling nanotube formation and fusion.Biochemical Society transactions · 2026Review
- Review
- ImpairedNature communications · 2026Article
- Mobile Powerhouses: Mitochondria Transfer via Tunnelling Nanotubes in Brain Health and Neurodegenerative Diseases.The European journal of neuroscience · 2026Review
- Tunneling Nanotubes in Astrocyte-Neuron Crosstalk: From Intercellular Communication and Pathological Spread to Mechanobiological and Bio-Inspired Approaches.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Article
288 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
In variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, prions (PrP(Sc)) enter the body with contaminated foodstuffs and can spread from the intestinal entry site to the central nervous system (CNS) by intercellular transfer from the lymphoid system to the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Although several means and different cell types have been proposed to have a role, the mechanism of cell-to-cell spreading remains elusive. Tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) have been identified between cells, both in vitro and in vivo, and may represent a conserved means of cell-to-cell communication. Here we show that TNTs allow transfer of exogenous and endogenous PrP(Sc) between infected and naive neuronal CAD cells. Significantly, transfer of endogenous PrP(Sc) aggregates was detected exclusively when cells chronically infected with the 139A mouse prion strain were connected to mouse CAD cells by means of TNTs, identifying TNTs as an efficient route for PrP(Sc) spreading in neuronal cells. In addition, we detected the transfer of labelled PrP(Sc) from bone marrow-derived dendritic cells to primary neurons connected through TNTs. Because dendritic cells can interact with peripheral neurons in lymphoid organs, TNT-mediated intercellular transfer would allow neurons to transport prions retrogradely to the CNS. We therefore propose that TNTs are involved in the spreading of PrP(Sc) within neurons in the CNS and from the peripheral site of entry to the PNS by neuroimmune interactions with dendritic cells.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.