Mitochondrial Function in Human Health and Disease: 3rd Edition
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026 | Viewed by 29
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cell cycle checkpoint control; DNA damage and repair pathway; Nek1 protein kinase; polycystic kidney disease; AKT and mitochondrial function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mitochondria play critical metabolic roles in fatty acid oxidation, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. These processes generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are toxic to cells because they cause oxidative damage to mitochondrial lipids, DNA, and proteins. Damaged mitochondria also release high levels of Ca2+ and cytochrome C, inducing apoptosis. To maintain the quality and quantity, selective autophagy—known as mitophagy—eliminates damaged mitochondria.
In addition to ROS-induced damage, alterations in mitochondrial function through mutations in either the mitochondrial or nuclear genome are associated with various diseases, including as cancer, aging, and metabolic disorders. The first evidence for mitochondrial involvement in cancer came from Warburg’s landmark observation that tumors produce excess lactate in the presence of oxygen, now known as the “Warburg effect”, a form of aerobic glycolysis. Activation of cellular signal transduction pathways, such as the PI3’K/PTEN/Akt pathway, also plays an important role in shifting metabolism from oxidative to glycolytic phosphorylation. Increasing evidence suggests that AKT kinase activity within mitochondria is crucial for cellular defense against extrinsic insults such as ischemia–reperfusion injury.
This Special Issue highlights diverse aspects of mitochondrial function in cancer, kidney disease, apoptosis, and autophagy, and further discusses the therapeutic potential of targeting mitochondria.
Dr. Yumay Chen
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- mitochondial genesis and disease
- mitochondrial function and aging
- mitochondrial dysfunction and cancer
- mitochondrial function and apoptosis
- mitophage
- autophage
- mitochondrial AKT
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