Mitochondria and Tumorigenesis

Mitochondria are essential organelles in eukaryotes, serving as the cellular powerhouse for energy production. Mitochondrial dysregulation plays a pivotal role in disease progression by functioning as a "plasticity hub" that coordinates the dynamic tumor microenvironment. This coordination occurs via multidimensional mechanisms such as metabolic rewiring, bioenergetic flux disruption, stress-responsive signaling, and inter-organellar communication, collectively promoting cancer initiation, dissemination, and therapeutic evasion. The current review summarizes recent advances in understanding mitochondria-driven oncogenesis through these mechanisms, discusses mitochondrial-targeted therapeutic strategies and associated challenges, and aims to establish a cross-scale framework for decoding the multi-dimensional synergy of mitochondrial networks in cancer progression, thereby offering insights for developing innovative precision therapies that integrate metabolic-dynamic-immune interventions.