Abstract
Mitochondria, a kind of subcellular organelle, play crucial roles in cancer cells as an energy source and as a generator of reactive substrates, which concern the generation, proliferation, drug resistance, and other functions of cancer. Therefore, precise delivery of anticancer agents to mitochondria can be a novel strategy for enhanced cancer treatment. Mitochondria have a four-layer structure with a high negative potential, which thereby prevents many molecules from reaching the mitochondria. Luckily, the advances in nanosystems have provided enormous hope to overcome this challenge. These nanosystems include liposomes, nanoparticles, and nanomicelles. Here, we summarize the very latest developments in mitochondria-targeting nanomedicines in cancer treatment as well as focus on designing multifunctional mitochondria-targeting nanosystems based on the latest nanotechnology.
Highlights
It has been generally recognized that DNA mutations lead to mitochondria disfunction and lead to various diseases including cancer (Basu et al, 2020; Dhanasekaran et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020), mainly due to alterations in energy metabolism and the electron transport chain (ETC) system (Pathania et al, 2009; Zong et al, 2016; Chan, 2020; Allemailem et al, 2021)
(4) Mitochondria are in charge of energy metabolism and tumor cell proliferation: Recent studies have illustrated that tumor cells could promote the generation of glutamine by oxidizing glucose-derived pyruvate through the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)-dependent pathway in mitochondria, which is crucial for tumor growth (Woolbright et al, 2019; Khan et al, 2020; Nie et al, 2020)
Precise delivery of anticancer agents to mitochondria can be a novel strategy for enhanced cancer treatment (Weinberg and Chandel, 2015; Vasan et al, 2020; Guo et al, 2021; Gao et al, 2021; Zhu et al, 2021)
Summary
It has been generally recognized that DNA mutations lead to mitochondria disfunction and lead to various diseases including cancer (Basu et al, 2020; Dhanasekaran et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020), mainly due to alterations in energy metabolism and the electron transport chain (ETC) system (Pathania et al, 2009; Zong et al, 2016; Chan, 2020; Allemailem et al, 2021). (2) Mitochondria facilitate tumor metastasis and invasion: Tumor metastasis and invasion primarily rely on the oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria In this process, the peroxisome-proliferator regulator plays a crucial role in mitochondrial function and biogenesis by triggering the oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria, which thereby stimulates the metastasis and invasion of the cancer cells (LeBleu et al, 2014; Chen et al, 2016; Liu L. et al, 2021). (4) Mitochondria are in charge of energy metabolism and tumor cell proliferation: Recent studies have illustrated that tumor cells could promote the generation of glutamine by oxidizing glucose-derived pyruvate through the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)-dependent pathway in mitochondria, which is crucial for tumor growth (Woolbright et al, 2019; Khan et al, 2020; Nie et al, 2020). We summarize the very latest developments in mitochondria-targeting nanomedicines in cancer treatment as well as focus on designing multifunctional mitochondriatargeting nanosystems based on the latest nanotechnology
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