Natural Compounds Target Mitochondrial Alterations in Cancer Cell: New Avenue for Anticancer Research

Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles that play essential roles in cellular metabolism and programmed cell death pathways. Functional, structural and genomic alterations in mitochondria have been associated with carcinogenesis in different cells. Some of those alterations may provide a selective advantage to cells, allowing them to survive and grow under different stresses. Due to the specific alterations that occur in cancer cell mitochondria, these organelles may provide promising targets for cancer therapy. The development of drugs that specifically target metabolic and mitochondrial alterations in tumor cells has become a matter of interest in recent years, with several molecules undergoing clinical trials. This Editorial focuses on the most relevant mitochondrial alterations found in tumor cells, for cancer therapy.