ReviewThe EMBO journal2021
Peering into tunneling nanotubes-The path forward.
Review in The EMBO journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 99 papers.
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
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
99 citing papers in PubMed.
- Myosin II-independent contraction of actin filaments in membrane nanotubes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Tunneling nanotubes regulate mitochondrial homeostasis between glioblastoma and astrocytes, and between tumor cells in vivo.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Tunneling nanotubes contribute to Zika virus pathogenesis at the maternal-fetal interfacemBio · 2026Article
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- Tunnelling Nanotube-Mediated Lysosome Sharing Promotes Osteocyte Survival via Transcellular Autophagy.Cell proliferation · 2026Article
- Mitochondrial transfer between tumor and immune cells: a nexus of metabolic adaptation and immune dysfunction.Biomarker research · 2026Review
- 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
- Mitochondria transfer in neurological disorders: the key role of neuroglia.Molecular neurodegeneration · 2026Review
- Building the bridges: molecular mechanisms of tunneling nanotube formation.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2026Review
- Breaking cellular boundaries: molecular mechanisms of tunneling nanotube formation and fusion.Biochemical Society transactions · 2026Review
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- ImpairedNature communications · 2026Article
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- Mobile Powerhouses: Mitochondria Transfer via Tunnelling Nanotubes in Brain Health and Neurodegenerative Diseases.The European journal of neuroscience · 2026Review
- Mitochondrial DNA mutations and intercellular mitochondrial transfer in cancer: mechanisms, biological effects, and clinical potential.Biomarker research · 2026Review
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39 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The identification of Tunneling Nanotubes (TNTs) and TNT-like structures signified a critical turning point in the field of cell-cell communication. With hypothesized roles in development and disease progression, TNTs' ability to transport biological cargo between distant cells has elevated these structures to a unique and privileged position among other mechanisms of intercellular communication. However, the field faces numerous challenges-some of the most pressing issues being the demonstration of TNTs in vivo and understanding how they form and function. Another stumbling block is represented by the vast disparity in structures classified as TNTs. In order to address this ambiguity, we propose a clear nomenclature and provide a comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge concerning TNTs. We also discuss their structure, formation-related pathways, biological function, as well as their proposed role in disease. Furthermore, we pinpoint gaps and dichotomies found across the field and highlight unexplored research avenues. Lastly, we review the methods employed to date and suggest the application of new technologies to better understand these elusive biological structures.
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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.