Mitochondria and Cancer: A Key Relationship in Health and Disease
Mitochondria are not only the cell’s “powerhouse” — they are also control centers that influence growth, survival, and cell death. When these functions are disrupted, they can promote the onset and progression of diseases, including cancer. Cancer is a disease in which certain cells in the body grow uncontrollably, avoid dying, and spread to other parts of the body. Mitochondria are involved in several of these processes, so understanding their role is essential to comprehending how this disease develops.
1. Altered Energy and Metabolism in Cancer
Under normal conditions, mitochondria produce energy mainly through cellular respiration using oxygen.
However, cancer cells often change the way they obtain energy:
They prefer to use a less efficient process called glycolysis, even when oxygen is available.
This shift is known as the Warburg effect.
Although glycolysis produces less energy per glucose molecule, it allows cancer cells to quickly obtain building blocks needed to produce new molecules for rapid division and growth.
Mitochondria continue to function, but their role adapts to favor cell proliferation over energy efficiency.
2. Apoptosis: The Cell Death Cancer Avoids
Mitochondria participate in apoptosis, a programmed mechanism that destroys damaged or unnecessary cells.
In healthy cells, if there is severe DNA damage or cellular stress, mitochondria release proteins (such as cytochrome c) that activate enzymes to dismantle the cell.
In cancer cells, this system is disrupted: mitochondria stop sending the “death” signal, allowing defective cells to survive and accumulate.
This shutdown of the apoptosis system is one reason why cancer is so difficult to stop.
3. Free Radical Production and DNA Damage
Mitochondria generate small amounts of free radicals (reactive oxygen species, ROS) as a byproduct of energy production.
In moderate amounts, they serve as cellular signaling molecules.
In excess, they can damage proteins, membranes, and DNA.
If nuclear DNA or mitochondrial DNA becomes mutated, cells can lose control of their growth, promoting cancer.
Mitochondrial DNA is especially vulnerable because it is less protected than nuclear DNA and has fewer repair mechanisms.
4. Influence on Metastasis
Metastasis occurs when cancer cells break away from the original tumor and form new tumors in other parts of the body.
Mitochondria can influence this process because they:
Regulate the energy and nutrients needed for cells to move and adapt to new environments.
Participate in signaling that changes cell structure and communication with the environment, promoting tumor cell invasion into other tissues.
5. Mitochondria as a Target in Cancer Therapies
Because mitochondria are so involved in cell life and death, scientists are exploring ways to target them selectively in cancer cells.
Some strategies include:
Inducing apoptosis by reactivating the death signals sent by mitochondria.
Altering mitochondrial metabolism to cut off the energy supply to tumor cells.
Using drugs that increase ROS production in cancer cells, causing more damage to them than to healthy cells.
The challenge is ensuring that treatments affect only cancer cells without harming normal cells.
In Summary
Mitochondria and cancer are deeply connected because they:
Change energy production methods to suit tumor needs.
Avoid apoptosis, enabling damaged cells to survive.
Generate free radicals that can mutate DNA.
Promote metastasis by providing energy and signals for tissue invasion.
Serve as therapeutic targets in the fight against cancer.
In other words, mitochondria can be both guardians that protect the cell and accomplices that help cancer develop, depending on whether they are functioning properly.
Article at the National Cancer Institute (USA):
https://www.cancer.gov/espanol/noticias/temas-y-relatos-blog/2024/celulas-cancerosas-roban-mitocondrias-celulas-t
Scientific Articles:
The Warburg Effect: How Does it Benefit Cancer Cells? doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2015.12.001
The Warburg Effect in Tumor Progression: Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism as an Anti-Metastasis Mechanism doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.04.001
Revisiting Mitochondria Scored Cancer Progression and Metastasis https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13030432
An Overview: The Diversified Role of Mitochondria in Cancer Metabolism PMCID: PMC9910000 PMID: 36778129
Mitochondria and Cancer PMID: 23001348 PMCID: PMC4371788 DOI: 10.1038/nrc3365
Role of Mitochondrial Alterations in Human Cancer Progression and Cancer Immunity https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-023-00956-w
Mitochondria and Cancer: The Warburg Fact DOI: 10.4172/2167-7700.1000134
Mitochondria in Cancer https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1209589
Roles of Mitochondria in the Hallmarks of Metastasis https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-020-01125-8
Mitochondria: A New Intervention Target for Tumor Invasion and Metastasis https://doi.org/10.1186/s10020-024-00899-4