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REVIEW article

Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Pathology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1481756

Harnessing Exercise to Combat Chronic Diseases: The Role of Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fission

Provisionally accepted
Yingxin Sun Yingxin Sun 1*Junchen He Junchen He 2,3*Lei Bao Lei Bao 1*Xiaoming Shi Xiaoming Shi 1*Jinghong Wang Jinghong Wang 1*Qingwen Li Qingwen Li 1*
  • 1 School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China
  • 2 Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, tianjin, China
  • 3 Tianjin lnstitute of lntegrative Dermatology, tianjin, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Enhanced Drp1 activity mediates excessive mitochondrial fission, contributing to the onset and progression of various chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders. Studies indicate that exercise mitigates mitochondrial dysfunction by modulating Drp1-related signaling targets, thereby inhibiting Drp1 activity and reducing excessive mitochondrial fission. This, in turn, enhances mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism. This review synthesizes the current understanding of Drp1 structure and activation mechanisms, and analyzes the effects of exercise interventions on Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in different disease models to improve common chronic conditions. This research deepens our insight into the specific mechanisms of Drp1-induced excessive mitochondrial fission in chronic disease pathogenesis, offering new theoretical support and practical guidance for exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention strategy.

    Keywords: physical exercise, mitochondrial fission, DRP1, chronic diseases, Mechanism

    Received: 16 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Sun, He, Bao, Shi, Wang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yingxin Sun, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China
    Junchen He, Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, tianjin, China
    Lei Bao, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China
    Xiaoming Shi, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China
    Jinghong Wang, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China
    Qingwen Li, School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Tianjin University of Sport, tianjin, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.