Barbosa IA, Machado NG, Skildum AJ, Scott PM, Oliveira PJ. Mitochondrial remodeling in cancer metabolism and survival: potential for new therapies.
Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2012;
1826:238-54. [PMID:
22554970 DOI:
10.1016/j.bbcan.2012.04.005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2012] [Revised: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles that play essential roles in cellular metabolism and programmed cell death pathways. Genomic, functional and structural mitochondrial alterations have been associated with cancer. Some of those alterations may provide a selective advantage to cells, allowing them to survive and grow under stresses created by oncogenesis. Due to the specific alterations that occur in cancer cell mitochondria, these organelles may provide promising targets for cancer therapy. The development of drugs that specifically target metabolic and mitochondrial alterations in tumor cells has become a matter of interest in recent years, with several molecules undergoing clinical trials. This review focuses on the most relevant mitochondrial alterations found in tumor cells, their contribution to cancer progression and survival, and potential usefulness for stratification and therapy.
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