Mitochondria are vital to energy production in cells and so play a key role in fueling cancer growth. However, how mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contributes to cancer has been unclear.
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital studied varying levels of mutated mtDNA to see their effect on leukemia cells. They found that while cancer growth was blocked in cells in which all mitochondria contained mutated mtDNA, it was notably increased in cells with moderate amounts of mutated mtDNA. By amplifying an enzyme vital to energy production, the researchers were also able to restart cancer growth in leukemia cells with fully mutated mtDNA.
Collectively, these findings highlight an unexplored connection between mitochondrial DNA and cancer cells’ metabolic function. The findings were published Jan. 1 in Science Advances.
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