Research progress of mitophagy and its targeted therapeutic strategies in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by persistent joint inflammation and progressive bone destruction. In recent years, mitophagy-a selective form of autophagy-has garnered increasing attention. As a critical cellular process, mitophagy specifically removes damaged mitochondria and maintains mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolic balance. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitophagy not only regulates cell survival and metabolic reprogramming but also plays a central role in preserving immune homeostasis, modulating immune cell polarization, and suppressing inflammatory signaling. This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of mitophagy and its pivotal role in RA, along with recent advances in mitophagy-targeted therapeutic strategies, aiming to provide novel insights for RA treatment.