MITOCHONDRIA: INSIGHT TARGET OF DRUG DEVELOPMENT IN CANCER CELLS

Mitochondria are involved in different physiological and pathological processes that are crucial for tumor cell physiology, growth and survival and its dysfunction leads to many human abnormalities, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancer. The present review is focused on the different experimental and therapeutic cancer strategies addressed to either target mitochondria directly, or use mitochondria as mediators of apoptosis, although its total molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. Therefore, the role of mitochondria in the etiology and progression of several function and explore potential therapeutic benefits of targeting mitochondria in the disease processes. Newly evolving advances in disease diagnostics and therapy will further facilitate future growth in the field of mitochondrian biology, where there is a dire need for sensitive and more affordable diagnostic tools and an urgency to develop effective therapies and identify reliable drug to predict accurately the response to a cancer therapy.These approaches to treat mitochondrial dysfunction rationally could lead to selective protection of cells in different tissues and various disease states. To avoid mitochondrial liabilities, routine screens need to be positioned within the drug-development process as targets of drug-induced cytotoxicity or cancer promotion, as regulators of apoptosis, as sources of cell signalling through reactive oxygen species, and mitochondrial control of specific nuclear responses. However, several novel mitochondrial targets are now emerging, including the potential to manipulate the mitochondrial pool to maintain function via biogenesis and mitophagy. Forthcoming insights into the fine regulation of mitochondrial apoptosis will likely open future perspectives for cancer drug development.