Researchers at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute (CRI) at UT Southwestern discovered that human cells can directly transfer large pieces of genomic DNA between one another, challenging the long-held view that each cell’s genome evolves independently. The study shows that DNA can move between cells through nanotube-like structures, enter the nucleus of recipient cells, and remain biologically active across multiple cell divisions. This transferred DNA can even be inherited and alter cellular behavior, suggesting a previously unknown mechanism for how cells influence each other and potentially reshaping understanding of cancer, development, and genome stability.