Unveiling Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Digestive Disorders via Multi-omics: Path to Targeted Treatments

In digestive health, mitochondria are essential for cellular metabolism, implicating in pivotal cellular mechanisms including hepatic stellate cell activation, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Disturbances in these roles lead to severe gastroenterological conditions like fibrosis, steatosis, cancer, and other diseases, mainly via metabolic reprogramming. When mitochondrial dynamics falter, triggered by external agents or intrinsic failures, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) stability becomes particularly susceptible to xenobiotic exposure and other pathology stimulus. During these pathological cascades, mitochondrial dysfunction exacerbates disease progression through the accumulation of oxidative stress and the release of mtDNA, thereby worsening clinical outcomes. This lends urgency to the exploration of mitochondrial intervention as a clinical solution, underscoring significant advancements in our understanding through recent studies targeting diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases, mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE), and irritable bowel syndrome, all characterized by compromised gastrointestinal motility.

This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of research articles, reviews, and viewpoints articulating the intricate link between mitochondrial dysfunction and digestive disorders. Enhanced by the innovations in multi-omics technologies, our understanding of mtDNA gene expression and metabolic pathways disrupted in these conditions has deepened, uncovering novel diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers. These insights have transformed mitochondrial dysfunction into a promising target for therapeutic intervention, wielding the potential to revolutionize treatment paradigms across a spectrum of digestive system diseases.

To gather further insights into metabolic transformations and mitochondrial signaling within the digestive system, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
● Leveraging combined multi-omics to reveal the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the progression of digestive system disease and metabolic abnormalities
● Exploring multi-omics analyses and machine learning to phenotype mitochondrial dysfunctions in digestive system diseases.
● Utilizing Spatial transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing to assess mitochondrial activity across various cell types within digestive diseases.
● Investigating the synergistic use of mitochondrial inhibitors with other therapeutic agents to enhance treatment efficacy.
● Exploring the potential of targeted mitochondrial transplantation in personalized therapeutic applications for curing digestive system diseases.
● Developing innovative pharmaceuticals and therapies specifically targeting mitochondria dysfunctions in digestive disease.

Keywords: Multi-omics Analyses, Mitochondrial Dysfunctions, Digestive System Diseases, Novel Therapy Alternatives

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.