Mitochondria as central regulators of cancer progression and antitumor immunity

Mitochondria coordinate metabolic and signaling pathways that influence cancer progression across multiple stages of the disease. Beyond supporting tumor growth, mitochondria contribute to metastatic dissemination and shape interactions between tumor and immune cells through diverse outputs, including metabolite production, redox regulation, and mitochondrial genome dynamics. In this review, we discuss how mitochondrial functions sustain cancer cell proliferation, regulate pathways that facilitate metastatic progression, and influence antitumor immunity. We further highlight emerging roles for mitochondrial DNA variation, intercellular mitochondrial transfer, and mitochondrial dysfunction in immune cell exhaustion and senescence. Finally, we discuss how these advances are revealing therapeutic opportunities to target mitochondrial pathways and enhance the efficacy of current cancer immunotherapies.