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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Author Spotlight: Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: March 17, 2023
Mitochondrial Dynamics in Regulating the Unique Phenotypes of Cancer and Stem Cells
1Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 114-96, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Abstract:
Cancer and stem cells appear to share a common metabolic profile that is characterized by high utilization of glucose through aerobic glycolysis. In the presence of sufficient nutrients, this metabolic strategy provides sufficient cellular ATP while additionally providing important metabolites necessary for the biosynthetic demands of continuous cell proliferation. Recent studies indicate that this metabolic profile is dependent on genes that regulate the fusion and fission of mitochondria. High levels of mitochondrial fission activity are associated with high proliferation and invasiveness in some cancer cells and with self-renewal and resistance to differentiation in some stem cells. These observations reveal new ways in which mitochondria regulate cell physiology, through their effects on metabolism and cell signaling.
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