Mitochondria and Cancer: From Hidden Culprits to Healing Targets
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Pathophysiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cancer; epigenetics; miRNA; non-coding RNA; hematological malignancies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: cancer; miRNAs; long noncoding RNA; laryngeal cancer; lung cancer; liquid biopsy; circulating tumor cell; diagnostic biomarkers; signal transduction; cell cycle; PI3K/AKT Pathway; apoptosis; autophagy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mitochondria are essential organelles that serve as central regulators of apoptosis, redox homeostasis, cellular metabolism, and innate immune responses —all processes deeply deregulated in cancer. Over the past decade, an expanding body of evidence has elucidated the critical contributions of mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming to tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.
This Special Issue aims to gather original research articles, reviews, or perspectives that explore the multifaceted roles of mitochondria in cancer biology.
We welcome contributions that dissect mitochondrial DNA mutations, metabolic reprogramming, mitochondrial dynamics (fission/fusion), mitophagy, and ROS production and their impact on tumor behavior and immune evasion. Furthermore, preclinical and clinical studies focusing on mitochondria-targeting strategies, including metabolic compounds, pro-apoptotic agents, and mitochondrial transfer, are strongly encouraged.
By bringing together basic, translational, and clinical research, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of mitochondrial alterations, highlighting their role both as key drivers of cancer progression and as promising targets for innovative therapeutic intervention.
Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:
- Mitochondrial biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment;
- Mitochondrial metabolism and oncogenic signaling;
- ROS generation and redox imbalance in cancer;
- Dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics (fission, fusion, and mitophagy) in cancer;
- Mitochondria in the tumor microenvironment and immune response;
- Mitochondrial transfer within the tumor microenvironment;
- Therapeutic targeting of mitochondrial pathways.
Dr. Nicola Amodio
Dr. Marianna Scrima
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- mitochondria
- mitochondrial dynamics
- cancer-associated mitochondrial defects
- mitochondrial metabolism
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