Mitochondria in the Tumourigenic Phenotype

Mitochondria have been found to harbor distinctive alterations in cancer cells. Early studies have shown structural changes in neoplastic cell mitochondria; studies described herein reveal both genomic and functional alterations, using brain tumours as the paradigm system. Mitochondria are an appropriate target for the development of therapies to treat patients with cancer, and represent an exciting approach given the differentiating properties of tumour mitochondria v. normal cells.