Work

Mitophagy interacts with mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis, acting as a double-edged sword in digestive cancer

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Mitophagy is a selective autophagy that degrades dysfunctional mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis. Mitophagy is functionally coordinated with and regulated by mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial dynamics, which include mitochondrial fusion, mitochondrial fission, and mitochondrial trafficking. Furthermore, researches have demonstrated that mitophagy plays a critical role in the occurrence and development of digestive cancer. Nonetheless, the mechanism of how mitophagy modulates digestive cancer and the mechanism of how mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics influence mitophagy warrant more investigations. This review summarizes the current understanding of the regulatory mechanism of mitophagy and outlines recent advances from investigations that explore how mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics coordinate with mitophagy. Additionally, this review provides a comprehensive view about how mitophagy could regulate the occurrence and development of digestive cancer. A deeper understanding about the role of mitophagy in regulation of digestive cancer benefits the development of more efficient therapeutic strategies for patients.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116449

Authors: Enming Qiu, Guoqing Lv, Jianing Hou, Zhou Li, Gang Wang

Institutions: Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Tang Du Hospital, Air Force Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Autophagy in Disease and Therapy

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240