'Mitochondria to the rescue': Scientists discover new energy hack
Scientists just discovered that when cancer cells get squeezed, they quickly boost their energy by moving their mitochondria right up to the nucleus.
This creates new structures—nucleus-associated mitochondria (NAMs)—which enable rapid ATP delivery to the nucleus, facilitating DNA repair.
The findings just came out in Nature Communications (2025).
NAMs are built with help from actin filaments
NAMs are built with help from actin filaments and the endoplasmic reticulum, trapping mitochondria near the nucleus.
This setup gives a 60% jump in nuclear ATP within seconds.
In lab tests, most compressed cancer cells formed NAMs, while relaxed ones didn't.
Researchers also spotted NAMs at the edges of real breast tumors, suggesting they might help cancer spread.
Targeting NAMPs could open up new ways to treat cancer
This energy hack isn't just for cancer—other stressed cells, like immune or embryonic cells, might do it too.
The study shows mitochondria are more than just powerhouses; they're active problem-solvers for the cell.
Targeting NAMs could open up new ways to treat cancer by blocking how these structures form.