Mitochondria are the "power factory" in cells and the main energy source of cells. 80% of the energy required for cell life activities is provided by mitochondria. Mitochondrial morphology plays an important role in the maintenance of normal physiological metabolism and body development. If the structure and function of mitochondria are abnormal, it will lead to the occurrence of diseases.

In recent years, mitochondrial research has become a research hotspot in the field of life science and medicine, in which mitochondrial fusion and fission maintain the normal morphology, distribution and function of mitochondria. The imbalance between mitochondrial fusion and division is often associated with the development of various human diseases, including cancer.

There is a set of mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA), which is independent of the nucleus. The length of human mitochondrial DNA is 16569bp, with 37 genes and 13 proteins, which are involved in the energy metabolism of cells.

In human aging and a series of diseases, changes in the expression of mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) are involved, and mutations in mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) can directly lead to dozens of serious genetic diseases.

However, recently, researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center in the United States published a research paper in the journal Nature Metabolism, but found that mitochondrial DNA mutations are associated with a significant increase in the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients.

Specifically, in the course of the study, researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center in the United States and the Cancer Science Institute of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom collaborated to collate and analyze data from the largest tumor sample database TCGA, which includes mitochondrial genome data and the corresponding clinical outcomes of patients.

By analyzing the data of 344 colorectal cancer patients, the research team compared the mitochondrial mutation group with the cancer survival rate. The results showed that after adjusting for variables such as age that affect cancer risk, the presence of mitochondrial mutations was associated with a 57% to 93% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer death, depending on the type of mitochondrial DNA mutation-truncation mutation (Truncating) and mutation of indeterminate significance (VUS).

To determine the prevalence of mitochondrial mutations in a wider range of cancers. The team looked at existing data from more than 10000 tumor samples from 23 cancer types to look for often-repeated mitochondrial mutations. The results showed that mitochondrial DNA mutations were present in 60% of the tumor samples.

This new study reveals the impact of mitochondrial DNA mutations on cancer, which has been ignored for decades. This discovery will also have a huge impact on the treatment of cancer patients. Perhaps in the future, researchers can change the recommended treatment method according to the state of mitochondrial DNA in patients' cancer cells, which will provide more feasible solutions in cancer treatment.