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Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Author Spotlight: Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: March 17, 2023
Mitochondria: The metabolic switch of cellular oncogenic transformation
Yan Qin Tan1, Xi Zhang2, Shuwei Zhang3
1Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; Institute of Biopharmaceutical and Health Engineering, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, PR China.
Abstract:
Mitochondria, well recognized as the "powerhouse" of cells, are maternally inherited organelles with bacterial ancestry that play essential roles in a myriad of cellular functions. It has become profoundly evident that mitochondria regulate a wide array of cellular and metabolic functions, including biosynthetic metabolism, cell signaling, redox homeostasis, and cell survival. Correspondingly, defects in normal mitochondrial functioning have been implicated in various human malignancies. Cancer development involves the activation of oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, and impairment of apoptotic programs in cells. Mitochondria have been recognized as the site of key metabolic switches for normal cells to acquire a malignant phenotype. This review outlines the role of mitochondria in human malignancies and highlights potential aspects of mitochondrial metabolism that could be targeted for therapeutic development.
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