Mitochondria And Cancer

Nearly a century of scientific research has revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the most common and consistent phenotypes of cancer cells. A number of notable differences in the mitochondria of normal and cancer cells have been described. These include differences in mitochondrial metabolic activity, molecular composition of mitochondria and mtDNA sequence, as well as in alteration of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. This book, Mitochondria and Cancer, edited by Keshav K. Singh and Leslie C. Costello, presents thorough analyses of mitochondrial dysfunction as one of the hallmarks of cancer, discusses the clinical implications of mitochondrial defects in cancer, and as unique cellular targets for novel and selective anti-cancer therapy.

The book addresses controversies related to the origins of cancer and provides solutions to cancer management and prevention. It expands upon Otto Warburg's well-known theory that all cancer is a disease of energy metabolism. However, Warburg did not link his theory to the "hallmarks of cancer" and thus his theory was discredited. This book aims to provide evidence, through case studies, that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease requring metabolic solutions for its management and prevention. Support for this position is derived from critical assessment of current cancer theories. Brain cancer case studies are presented as a proof of principle for metabolic solutions to disease management, but similarities are drawn to other types of cancer, including breast and colon, due to the same cellular mutations that they demonstrate.

This book will be focused on mitochondria as very promising targets for anti-cancer drugs, yet to be fully exploited. It will contain chapters focused on aspects of basic research as well as on clinical relevance, which will be written by specialists in the field. That the role of mitochondria in human pathologies goes beyond the neoplastic diseases will be documented by a chapter of the role of mitochondria in Friedreich's ataxia.

An exhaustive analysis of the role of mitochondria in cancer, this book surveys the Warburg Hypothesis, mitochondrial structure and function, and then outlines the metabolic and molecular alterations in mitochondria that are associated with human cancer.

Many human genetic diseases associated with blood, brain, colon, ear, eye, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, and pancreas are caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. Mutations in DNA can result in defects of the electron transport complexes, intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and substrate transport. The clinical manifestation of these diseases often involves muscle and the nervous system. Mitochondrial DNA mutations have now been associated with aging as well as age-related degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases. Changes in structure, function, and a number of mitochondria play an important role in carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the role of mitochondria in the execution of programmed cell death or apoptosis has been recognized recently.

This open access volume will introduce recent discoveries in cancer metabolism since the publication of the first edition in 2018, providing readers with an up-to-date understanding of developments in the field. Genetic alterations in cancer, in addition to being the fundamental drivers of tumorigenesis, can give rise to a variety of metabolic adaptations that allow cancer cells to survive and proliferate in diverse tumor microenvironments. This metabolic flexibility is different from normal cellular metabolic processes and leads to heterogeneity in cancer metabolism within the same cancer type or even within the same tumor. In this book, the authors delve into the complexity and diversity of cancer metabolism and highlight how understanding the heterogeneity of cancer metabolism is fundamental to the development of effective metabolism-based therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Deciphering how cancer cells utilize various nutrient resources will enable clinicians and researchers to pair specific chemotherapeutic agents with patients who are most likely to respond with positive outcomes, allowing for more cost-effective and personalized cancer treatment. This book has four major parts. Part one will cover the basic metabolism of cancer cells, followed by a discussion of the heterogeneity of cancer metabolism in part two. Part three addresses the relationship between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts, and the new part four will explore the metabolic interplay between cancer and other diseases. This new section makes the book unique from other texts currently available on the market. The second edition will be useful for cancer metabolism researchers, cancer biologists, epidemiologists, physicians, health care professionals in related disciplines, policymakers, marketing and economic strategists, among others. It may also be used in courses such as intro to cancer metabolism, cancer biology, and related biochemistry courses for undergraduate and graduate students.

This open access article by various authors presents key research on Mitochondria as biosynthetic factories for cancer proliferation. Unchecked growth and proliferation is a hallmark of cancer, and numerous oncogenic mutations reprogram cellular metabolism to fuel these processes. As a central metabolic organelle, mitochondria execute critical biochemical functions for the synthesis of fundamental cellular components, including fatty acids, amino acids, and nucleotides. Despite the extensive interest in the glycolytic phenotype of many cancer cells, tumors contain fully functional mitochondria that support proliferation and survival. Furthermore, tumor cells commonly increase flux through one or more mitochondrial pathways, and pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism is emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy in some cancers. Here, we review the biosynthetic roles of mitochondrial metabolism in tumors and highlight specific cancers where these processes are activated.

Mitochondrial Metabolism: An Approach for Disease Management covers mitotherapy from three combined perspectives, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biochemistry. After an introduction from world-renowned experts, the book's chapters cover the balancing role in reduction/oxidation mitochondria play, mitochondria as targets for therapeutics through its metabolism, mitochondrial contributions to the cell death process, mitochondrial response to environmental toxicants, the mitochondrial role in aging, the impact of calorie restrictive diets, new advances in the identification of altered mitochondria associated signaling pathways in carcinogenesis, and much more. This book provides bioscientists new horizons to realize the importance of mitochondria in present-day research on therapies dealing with mitochondria associated chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Details the significant role of mitochondria in chronic diseases Presents new insights on the targeting of mitochondria for therapeutic purposes Includes updated results on mitotherapy and other mitochondria-oriented therapies