Macrophage to Myocyte Mitochondrial Transfer in the Myometrium: A Novel Mechanism for the Initiation of Labor
Lubna Nadeem, Amit Sharma, Sharanya Shankar, Eduardo Aguiar Cabeza, Laurence Pelletier, Andrea Juriscova, Oksana P. Shynlova, Stephen James Lye
The paper shows M1 macrophages transfer mitochondria to myocytes via tunneling nanotubes, enhancing ATP production and progesterone withdrawal, which initiates labor.
bioRxiv · Aug 21, 2026 · PreprintImmunology