Mitochondria on the move: emerging paradigms of organelle trafficking in tumour plasticity and metastasis

2017/07/01 by Dario C. Altieri, Dario C Altieri · 69 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #ATP Synthase and ATPases Research #Apoptosis #Autophagy #Biology #Cancer #Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism #Cell #Cell biology #Disease #Druggability #Gene #Genetics #Medicine #Metastasis #Mitochondrial Function and Pathology #Mitochondrion #Mitophagy #Organelle #Pathology #Reprogramming

paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.201

published in British Journal of Cancer 117(3), 301-305 (Springer Nature)

openalex publication_date 2017/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

There is now a resurgent interest in the role of mitochondria in cancer. Long considered controversial or outright unimportant, mitochondrial biology is now increasingly recognised as an important tumour driver. The underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. But recent studies have uncovered a complex landscape where reprogramming of mitochondrial homoeostasis, including organelle dynamics, metabolic output, apoptosis control and redox status converge to promote tumour adaptation to an unfavourable microenvironment and inject new traits of aggressive disease. In particular, mechanisms of subcellular mitochondrial trafficking have unexpectedly emerged as central regulators of metastatic competence in disparate tumours. Some of these pathways are druggable, opening fresh therapeutic opportunities for advanced and disseminated disease.

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