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Review
. 2007 May 22;581(11):2194-201.
doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.03.071. Epub 2007 Apr 4.

Tunneling nanotubes: a new route for the exchange of components between animal cells

Hans-Hermann Gerdes  1 , Nickolay V Bukoreshtliev, João F V Barroso
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Tunneling nanotubes: a new route for the exchange of components between animal cells

Hans-Hermann Gerdes et al. FEBS Lett. .
Free article

Erratum in

  • FEBS Lett. 2007 Jul 10;581(17):3332

Abstract

Recently, highly sensitive nanotubular structures mediating membrane continuity between mammalian cells have been discovered. With respect to their peculiar architecture, these membrane channels were termed tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). TNTs could form de novo between animal cells leading to the generation of complex cellular networks. They have been shown to facilitate the intercellular transfer of organelles as well as, on a limited scale, of membrane components and cytoplasmic molecules. It has been proposed that TNTs represent a novel and general biological principle of cell-to-cell communication and it becomes increasingly apparent that they fulfill important functions in the physiological processes of multicellular organisms.

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