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Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: March 17, 2023
Mitochondrial DNA damage, repair, and replacement in cancer
Pavel Vodicka1, Sona Vodenkova2, Natalie Danesova2
1Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic; First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, 323 00 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
Mitochondria are vital organelles with their own DNA (mtDNA). mtDNA is circular and composed of heavy and light chains that are structurally more accessible than nuclear DNA (nDNA). While nDNA is typically diploid, the number of mtDNA copies per cell is higher and varies considerably during development and between tissues. Compared with nDNA, mtDNA is more prone to damage that is positively linked to many diseases, including cancer. Similar to nDNA, mtDNA undergoes repair processes, although these mechanisms are less well understood. In this review, we discuss the various forms of mtDNA damage and repair and their association with cancer initiation and progression. We also propose horizontal mitochondrial transfer as a novel mechanism for replacing damaged mtDNA.
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