Review
Oncology
Roger Carles-Fontana, Nigel Heaton, Elena Palma, Shirin Khorsandi
Summary: Mitochondria are important organelles involved in cellular processes and are altered in pathological states, including cancer. Cancer cells adapt different strategies to generate sufficient energy for their high proliferation rates, often mediated by extracellular signals such as extracellular vesicles (EVs). This review discusses EV-mediated mitochondrial reprogramming mechanisms that support cancer survival and progression, as well as the potential of using EVs as delivery vectors for targeting mitochondria in cancer therapy.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Camille Boudreau-Pinsonneault, Michel Cayouette
Summary: This study reveals that post-mitotic cell reprogramming can occur naturally in the developing fish retina, shedding light on the mechanism involved in the generation of cell diversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei Wei, Daniel J. Gaffney, Patrick F. Chinnery
Summary: Analysis of mtDNA in a large number of iPSC lines reveals that iPSC-specific mutations affect a higher proportion of mtDNA molecules, favoring non-synonymous protein-coding and tRNA variants. Additionally, stable heteroplasmy in mtDNA variants during cell differentiation influences mitochondrial metabolism and cell differentiation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liufeng Zhang, Yuancheng Wei, Shengtao Yuan, Li Sun
Summary: Abnormal energy metabolism is a characteristic of tumor cells, and mitochondria are important components of tumor metabolic reprogramming. Based on the concept of reprogramming mitochondrial metabolism, we discuss the current progress in mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming and summarized the corresponding treatment options. Finally, we propose mitochondrial inner membrane transporters as new and feasible therapeutic targets.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ippei Kawano, Bazila Bazila, Petr Jezek, Andrea Dlaskova
Summary: The architecture of the mitochondrial network and cristae critically impact cell differentiation and identity. Recent studies have shown that manipulating mitochondrial dynamics and cristae shape affects T cell phenotype, macrophage polarization, and other cellular processes. Further investigation of the molecular mechanisms involved could lead to improved therapeutic manipulation of cell viability, differentiation, proliferation, and identity.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Bianca Oresta, Chiara Pozzi, Daniele Braga, Rodolfo Hurle, Massimo Lazzeri, Piergiuseppe Colombo, Nicola Frego, Marco Erreni, Cristina Faccani, Grazia Elefante, Matteo Barcella, Giorgio Guazzoni, Maria Rescigno
Summary: The study revealed the mechanism by which Mitomycin C promotes immunogenic cell death, relying on metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells towards increased oxidative phosphorylation. This finding offers opportunities to optimize bladder cancer management and provides potential markers of treatment efficacy.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zhenzhen Li, Chanjun Sun, Zhihai Qin
Summary: Cancer cells adapt their metabolism to proliferate and survive in harsh environments, with a close relationship between tumor microenvironment and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) playing key roles in tumor growth and metastasis. CAFs act as major regulators in shaping tumor metabolism, especially through dysregulation of metabolic pathways, influencing cancer cell behavior and response to therapy. The interaction and crosstalk between cancer cells and CAFs contribute to metabolic reprogramming that impacts cancer cell growth and progression.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dongwei Li, Xiaodong Shu, Ping Zhu, Duanqing Pei
Summary: Recent research has shown that chromatin dynamics are closely linked to cell fate control, with a binary off/on switch occurring during iPSC reprogramming. This implies that similar mechanisms may also be present in normal development, suggesting potential for further approaches to directing cell fate changes.
Article
Oncology
Pravat Kumar Parida, Mauricio Marquez-Palencia, Suvranil Ghosh, Nitin Khandelwal, Kangsan Kim, Vidhya Nair, Xiao-Zheng Liu, Hieu S. Vu, Lauren G. Zacharias, Paula I. Gonzalez-Ericsson, Melinda E. Sanders, Bret C. Mobley, Jeffrey G. McDonald, Andrew Lemoff, Yan Peng, Cheryl Lewis, Goncalo Vale, Nils Halberg, Carlos L. Arteaga, Ariella B. Hanker, Ralph J. DeBerardinis, Srinivas Malladi
Summary: Malladi and colleagues demonstrate that inhibiting DRP1 restricts mitochondrial plasticity in breast cancer models, leading to increased fusion, impaired fatty acid oxidation, and reduced metastasis formation. Moreover, they uncover the role of fragmented mitochondrial puncta in enabling fatty acid oxidation and sustaining cellular bioenergetics in latent brain metastatic cells. Targeting DRP1 with a brain-permeable inhibitor attenuates metastatic burden, as revealed by preclinical models and increased phospho-DRP1 expression in metachronous brain metastasis compared to primary tumors. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting cellular plasticity programs in combination with tumor-specific alterations to prevent metastatic recurrences.
Review
Immunology
Olga Zimmermannova, Ines Caiado, Alexandra G. Ferreira, Carlos-Filipe Pereira
Summary: The development of cancer immunotherapy is based on advances in understanding the interaction between cancer cells and the immune system, with cell fate reprogramming providing new alternatives for personalized immunotherapy. Technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) enable the study and generation of clinically useful immune cells, offering potential for enhancing anti-tumor properties and addressing challenges in cellular immunotherapy. Advances in in vivo reprogramming and gene delivery mechanisms are opening exciting avenues for direct manipulation of immune or tumor cells in situ, providing new tools for overcoming obstacles in cancer immunotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ila Tewari Jasra, Nerea Cuesta-Gomez, Kevin Verhoeff, Braulio A. Marfil-Garza, Nidheesh Dadheech, A. M. James Shapiro
Summary: This review summarizes the roles and mechanisms of mitochondria in somatic cell reprogramming to iPSCs and the metabolic shift associated with directed differentiation into pancreatic beta-like cells.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer K. Dowling, Remsha Afzal, Linden J. Gearing, Mariana P. Cervantes-Silva, Stephanie Annett, Gavin M. Davis, Chiara De Santi, Nadine Assmann, Katja Dettmer, Daniel J. Gough, Glenn R. Bantug, Fidinny Hamid, Frances K. Nally, Conor P. Duffy, Aoife L. Gorman, Alex M. Liddicoat, Ed C. Lavelle, Christoph Hess, Peter J. Oefner, David K. Finlay, Gavin P. Davey, Tracy Robson, Annie M. Curtis, Paul J. Hertzog, Bryan R. G. Williams, Claire E. McCoy
Summary: The study reveals that Arg2 is a protein in inflammatory macrophages regulated by miR-155 and IL-10, crucial for IL-10-induced modulation of mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative respiration. Arg2 mediates this process by increasing the activity of complex II and is essential for IL-10-mediated downregulation of inflammatory mediators.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Rosa Vona, Anna Maria Mileo, Paola Matarrese
Summary: Mitochondria are constantly rearranging dynamic networks that play key roles in cellular functions like metabolism regulation, energy production, calcium homeostasis, reactive oxygen species production, and programmed cell death. Their dynamics, including fusion, fragmentation, trafficking, biogenesis, and mitophagy, are actively involved in tumorigenesis and metabolic plasticity, contributing to tumor progression. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating mitochondrial dynamics can potentially lead to new molecular targets in cancer therapy.
Article
Cell Biology
Yang Chen, Hongfei Yan, Lirong Yan, Ximing Wang, Xiaofang Che, Kezuo Hou, Yi Yang, Xuena Li, Yaming Li, Ye Zhang, Xuejun Hu
Summary: ALDH3A1 is highly expressed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is associated with poor prognosis. It enhances glycolysis and suppresses oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) by activating the HIF-1 alpha/LDHA pathway, promoting cell proliferation in NSCLC. Additionally, β-elemene can downregulate ALDH3A1, inhibiting glycolysis and enhancing OXPHOS, thereby suppressing NSCLC proliferation.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Young-Ran Gu, Jinu Kim, Joon Chae Na, Woong Kyu Han
Summary: This study found that SIRT3 improves mitochondrial function in ccRCC through metabolic reprogramming, leading to increased sensitivity to anticancer drugs. The combination of SIRT3 and resveratrol has a synergistic lethal effect.
Article
Cell Biology
Javier Prieto, Marian Leon, Xavier Ponsoda, Francisco Garcia-Garcia, Roque Bort, Eva Serna, Manuela Barneo-Munoz, Francesc Palau, Joaquin Dopazo, Carlos Lopez-Garcia, Josema Torres
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Javier Prieto, Marian Leon, Xavier Ponsoda, Ramon Sendra, Roque Bort, Raquel Ferrer-Lorente, Angel Raya, Carlos Lopez-Garcia, Josema Torres
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2016)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Salvador Marti, Marian Leon, Carmen Orellana, Javier Prieto, Xavier Ponsoda, Carlos Lopez-Garcia, Juan Jesus Vilchez, Teresa Sevilla, Josema Torres
STEM CELL RESEARCH
(2017)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Javier Prieto, Arnold Y. Seo, Marian Leon, Fulvio Santacatterina, Laura Torresano, Martina Palomino-Schatzlein, Karen Gimenez, Azahara Vallet-Sanchez, Xavier Ponsoda, Antonio Pineda-Lucena, Jose Prime M. Cuezva, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Josema Torres
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Javier Prieto, Xavier Ponsoda, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Josema Torres
EXPERIMENTAL GERONTOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Solana-Manrique, Francisco Jose Sanz, Edna Ripolles, M. Carmen Bano, Josema Torres, Veronica Munoz-Soriano, Nuria Paricio
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Marian Leon, Javier Prieto, Maria Micaela Molina-Navarro, Francisco Garcia-Garcia, Manuela Barneo-Munoz, Xavier Ponsoda, Rosana Saez, Francesc Palau, Joaquin Dopazo, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Josema Torres
Summary: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a chronic hereditary motor and sensory polyneuropathy affecting Schwann cells and motor neurons. The loss of function of the GDAP1 gene leads to altered mitochondrial morphology, activation of autophagy, abnormal metabolism, increased reactive oxygen species, and an elevated innate immune response. Understanding these cellular and molecular phenotypes could lead to the development of therapies for this disease.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Javier Prieto, Juan Carlos Garcia-Canaveras, Marian Leon, Ramon Sendra, Xavier Ponsoda, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Agustin Lahoz, Josema Torres
Summary: In the process of cell reprogramming, c-MYC plays a crucial role in controlling metabolic rewiring by orchestrating cell proliferation, synthesis of macromolecular components, and lipid remodeling, which are essential processes for the successful shift to pluripotency.
STEM CELL REVIEWS AND REPORTS
(2021)
