Mitocans: Mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer drugs

Abstract

Mitochondria are intriguing organelles that are inherently present in most eukaryotic cells, with notable exceptions. They undertake multiple vital functions in a cell, including energy conversion, metabolite synthesis, regulation of the cellular redox state, production of reactive oxygen species, initiation of apoptosis, and buffering cellular Ca2+. Although aberrant, mitochondria are indispensable in malignant cells for critical involvement in synthesis of vital precursors for a variety of metabolic pathways. Therefore, mitochondria have recently emerged as plausible, as yet underexploited targets for cancer therapy. Here we discuss why mitochondria may be clinically relevant anti-cancer therapeutic modalities and give examples of agents that act via mitochondria that we, collectively, refer to as mitocans. Some of these agents hold a great promise for making it to the 'bedside', entering clinical trials.