About this Research Topic
Mitochondria are subcellular organelles of vital importance for eukaryotic cells, because they are considered as energy factories for cells by producing ATP for cells to maintain life activities and regulate their apoptotic pathway. Mitochondria also participate in the regulation of cell cycles and many important events for cells, including cell differentiation and necroptosis. The dysfunctions or failures of mitochondria can lead to cancer occurrence, metastasis, or recurrence, thus specific mitochondria-targeted therapeutic approaches have been developed to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy.
Multifunctional nanoplatforms have been constructed for cancer diagnosis or therapy after modified with a variety of mitochondria-targeted ligands (such as lipophilic cations, peptides, or aptamers). These mitochondria-targeted ligands usually have lipophilic and cationic characteristics, which render them with high affinities to mitochondria due to the high negative transmembrane potential of mitochondria, resulting in their preferential localization in mitochondria. On this basis, mitochondria-targeted nanoprobes are developed for cancer cell mitochondria imaging. And mitochondria-targeted cancer therapies are majorly composed of photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), chemotherapy and combined immunotherapy. In mitochondria-targeted PDT, a variety of active photosensitizers can generate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) around mitochondria area that oxidize cellular compositions including lipids, proteins, DNA and ultimately kill cells upon photoexcitation. Mitochondria are specifically sensitive to heat stress caused by hyperthermia, which can heavily disturb their cellular functions or directly destruct them, resulting in the activation of the apoptosis or necrosis pathways in cancer cells. Compared with conventional hyperthermia approaches, mitochondria-targeted photothermal nanoagents can efficiently convert near-infrared (NIR) light to heat energy and localize the thermal ablation in mitochondria area, resulting in a direct initiation of cell apoptosis and further enhanced photothermal damage to cancer cells. Furthermore, in mitochondria-targeted chemotherapy, mitochondria directing form of drugs can bring about enhanced cytotoxicity especially in drug resistant tumor cells, which opens up opportunities to overcome drug resistance. Recently, a novel research interest arises in mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine combined with immunotherapy.
This Research Topic seeks innovative manuscripts on mitochondria-targeted nanocarriers or nanomedicine for enhanced efficacy of cancer therapy, by conjugating mitochondria directing entities to nanocarriers, even the further translation into clinical practice. Both Original Research papers and Review articles are welcomed for submission.
Sub-topics:
1. Synthesis and preparation of mitochondria targeted nanoprobes
2. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for phototherapy (including photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy)
3. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for chemotherapy
4. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for combined immunotherapy
Multifunctional nanoplatforms have been constructed for cancer diagnosis or therapy after modified with a variety of mitochondria-targeted ligands (such as lipophilic cations, peptides, or aptamers). These mitochondria-targeted ligands usually have lipophilic and cationic characteristics, which render them with high affinities to mitochondria due to the high negative transmembrane potential of mitochondria, resulting in their preferential localization in mitochondria. On this basis, mitochondria-targeted nanoprobes are developed for cancer cell mitochondria imaging. And mitochondria-targeted cancer therapies are majorly composed of photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), chemotherapy and combined immunotherapy. In mitochondria-targeted PDT, a variety of active photosensitizers can generate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) around mitochondria area that oxidize cellular compositions including lipids, proteins, DNA and ultimately kill cells upon photoexcitation. Mitochondria are specifically sensitive to heat stress caused by hyperthermia, which can heavily disturb their cellular functions or directly destruct them, resulting in the activation of the apoptosis or necrosis pathways in cancer cells. Compared with conventional hyperthermia approaches, mitochondria-targeted photothermal nanoagents can efficiently convert near-infrared (NIR) light to heat energy and localize the thermal ablation in mitochondria area, resulting in a direct initiation of cell apoptosis and further enhanced photothermal damage to cancer cells. Furthermore, in mitochondria-targeted chemotherapy, mitochondria directing form of drugs can bring about enhanced cytotoxicity especially in drug resistant tumor cells, which opens up opportunities to overcome drug resistance. Recently, a novel research interest arises in mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine combined with immunotherapy.
This Research Topic seeks innovative manuscripts on mitochondria-targeted nanocarriers or nanomedicine for enhanced efficacy of cancer therapy, by conjugating mitochondria directing entities to nanocarriers, even the further translation into clinical practice. Both Original Research papers and Review articles are welcomed for submission.
Sub-topics:
1. Synthesis and preparation of mitochondria targeted nanoprobes
2. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for phototherapy (including photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy)
3. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for chemotherapy
4. Novel mitochondria-targeted nanomedicine for combined immunotherapy
Keywords: Mitochondria targeting, Nanoprobe, Nanomedicine, Phototherapy, Chemotherapy, Combined immunotherapy
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
