Advances in the Reprogramming of Mitochondrial Signalling and Metabolism in Cancers
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: adipose tissue biology; BAT; WAT; lipid metabolism; oxidative stress; autophagy; cancer metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: adipose tissue biology; metabolism; inflammation; epigenetics; neurodegeneration; cancer metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mitochondria are central regulators of cellular energy metabolism, redox balance, and apoptotic signaling, playing a crucial role in cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Beyond their canonical role in ATP production, mitochondria orchestrate redox homeostasis, apoptotic responses, and compartmentalized metabolic events. Increasing evidence indicates that cancer cells actively reprogram mitochondrial metabolism and signalling to sustain proliferation, resist oxidative stress, adapt to the tumor microenvironment, and escape immune detection. These processes involve alterations in mitochondrial dynamics, genome integrity, and inter-organelle communication, ultimately contributing to metabolic plasticity and therapeutic resistance.
The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive update on recent discoveries elucidating how mitochondrial reprogramming supports malignant transformation and tumor maintenance. The scope includes—but is not limited to—studies exploring mitochondrial bioenergetics, metabolite fluxes, redox regulation, oncometabolites, mitochondrial DNA mutations, and the interplay between mitochondria and the tumor microenvironment.
This Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews focusing on the mechanistic understanding and therapeutic exploitation of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer. By integrating molecular, biochemical, and translational perspectives, it seeks to identify novel mitochondrial targets and metabolic vulnerabilities that may inform the design of next-generation anticancer strategies.
Prof. Dr. Maria Rosa Ciriolo
Dr. Fabio Ciccarone
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- mitochondrial dynamic
- mitochondrial biogenesis
- mitochondrial transfer
- mitochondrial targeting
- mitophagy
- oxidative metabolism
- mtDNA
- ROS
- oncometabolism
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