Mitophagy's impacts on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases: implications for future therapies
- J Hematol Oncol. 2025 Aug 1;18(1):78. doi: 10.1186/s13045-025-01727-w.
- 1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- 2. MD Anderson Mays Cancer Centerat , UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- 3. Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- 4. Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- 5. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA. [email protected].
- 6. MD Anderson Mays Cancer Centerat , UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA. [email protected].
Substantial evidence supports an inverse relationship between Cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), but few studies investigate the biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. While previous explanations-such as inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), genetic mutations, and cell death-remain significant, they ultimately converge on Mitophagy. This review identifies Mitophagy as a pivotal factor in the development of both Cancer and NDDs, while also evaluating specific mechanisms and processes to clarify how Mitophagy connects these opposing disease trajectories. By examining these factors, we aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms that explain the inverse relationship between Cancer and NDDs, which will help develop therapeutic strategies that target common factors for both conditions.