Mitochondrial Transfer in the Leukemia Microenvironment

The bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) is a complex ecosystem that instructs and protects hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their malignant counterparts, the leukemia-initiating cells (LICs). Within the physical and functional crosstalk that takes place between HSCs, LICs, and the BMME, the transfer of organelles and of mitochondria in particular is an important new intercellular communication mode in addition to adhesion molecules, tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), and the paracrine secretion of cytokines, (onco)metabolites, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this review we discuss the functional roles of mitochondrial transfer between BMME and leukemic cells, and give insights into this new mechanism of drug resistance whose understanding will open the way to innovative anticancer adjuvant treatments.