Nature News Feature: LIT Scientist Dr. Jeremy Baldwin talks about his research on mitochondrial transfer
A recent Nature news piece examines the emerging science of mitochondrial transfer between cells and asks whether this process could be leveraged to treat cancer and other diseases. Among the leading experts in the field interviewed for this news piece is LIT scientist, Dr. Jeremy Baldwin, whose recent publication brought new attention to the discipline of organelle medicine.
Please see full article here!Article Details
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Date Published
May 23, 2025
Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles of cells. The phenomenon of intercellular mitochondrial transfer is reshaping our understanding of cellular communication and points to new approaches for treating diseases like cancer. The transfer of mitochondria through structures such as nanotubes can be beneficial by boosting or rejuvenating damaged cells, or detrimental by interfering and disabling normal biological functions. Understanding the mechanisms that govern this transfer phenomenon will have important implications in human health and disease.
At the LIT, Dr. Jeremy Baldwin, Postdoctoral Scientist at the Research Division of “Functional Immune Cell Modulation” headed by Prof. Luca Gattinoni, is engaged in the development of T cell-based immunotherapies augmented by organelle transplantation.
Dr. Jeremy Baldwin
Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles of cells. The phenomenon of intercellular mitochondrial transfer is reshaping our understanding of cellular communication and points to new approaches for treating diseases like cancer. The transfer of mitochondria through structures such as nanotubes can be beneficial by boosting or rejuvenating damaged cells, or detrimental by interfering and disabling normal biological functions. Understanding the mechanisms that govern this transfer phenomenon will have important implications in human health and disease.
At the LIT, Dr. Jeremy Baldwin, Postdoctoral Scientist at the Research Division of “Functional Immune Cell Modulation” headed by Prof. Luca Gattinoni, is engaged in the development of T cell-based immunotherapies augmented by organelle transplantation.
About Dr. Jeremy Baldwin
Dr. Jeremy Baldwin is an early career research fellow specializing in the fields of immunology, vaccine research, cancer immunotherapies, and tissue engineering. In 2014, Dr. Baldwin was awarded an ANZ board Trustee fellowship to undertake a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at the Queensland University of Technology. During his Ph.D. studies, he also completed a Master of Research and Development Management as part of the Australian Government’s Commercialization Training Scheme to train the next generation of entrepreneurial scientists. Other notable work experiences prior to the conferral of his Ph.D. include an international research training program at the Tropical Disease Institute, Ecuador, and traveling to Antarctica as part of a youth expedition to raise awareness for renewable energies and climate change. Following successful defense of his Ph.D. thesis, Dr. Baldwin was awarded a Fulbright Future Fellowship, Endeavour Research Fellowship and Sir Winston Churchill fellowship to continue his post-doctoral training in immunology. Dr. Baldwin joined the LIT Division of Functional Immune Cell Modulation in 2021and his work is supported by the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Joachim Herz Stiftung. His current research interest focuses on metabolically reprogramming CD8+ T cells and their application in cancer immunotherapies.
Visit the latest full article by Dr. Jeremy Baldwin and colleagues in the journal “Cell”:
Jeremy G. Baldwin, Christoph Heuser-Loy, Tanmoy Saha, Roland C. Schelker, Dragana Slavkovic-Lukic, Nicholas Strieder, Inmaculada Hernandez-Lopez, Nisha Rana, Markus Barden, Fabio Mastrogiovanni, Azucena Martín-Santos, Andrea Raimondi, Philip Brohawn, Brandon W Higgs, Claudia Gebhard, Veena Kapoor, William G. Telford, Sanjivan Gautam, Maria Xydia, Philipp Beckhove, Sina Frischholz, Kilian Schober, Zacharias Kontarakis, Jacob E. Corn, Matteo Iannacone, Donato Inverso, Michael Rehli, Jessica Fioravanti, Shiladitya Sengupta, Luca Gattinoni. Intercellular nanotube-mediated mitochondrial transfer enhances T-cell metabolic fitness and antitumor efficacy. Cell, 2024. DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.029
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