Mitochondria: from powerhouses of cells to hubs in antitumor immunity.

Authors

Xiaofeng Li, Yanfeng Shi, Yan Zhao, Gengjun Zhu, Lifang Jin

Published in

Frontiers in immunology. Volume 17. Pages 1852236. Epub Jun 09, 2026.

Abstract

While immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies constitute the cornerstone of current immunotherapy, their efficacy is often limited by, most notably, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Recently, mitochondria are recognized as pivotal metabolic-immune hubs that critically support tumor progression, metastasis, and immune evasion. However, this insight has not yet translated into a clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms or their therapeutic potential. This review summarizes the role of mitochondria in cellular metabolic regulation, with a focus on mitochondrial-mediated metabolic reprogramming in cancer and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. We then discuss therapeutic opportunities to potentiate antitumor immunity by targeting mitochondrial reprogramming in cancer and CAR-T cells. Finally, we offer a forward-looking perspective on emerging mitochondria-targeted strategies, such as mitochondrial vaccines, precise mtDNA editing, and engineered mitochondrial transplantation.

PMID:
42344927
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Jun 2026.

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