Mechanisms of Mitochondrial Influence on Tumor Radioresistivity

Radiotherapy remains one of the main methods of cancer treatment. At the same time, the formation of radioresistance (RR)of cancer cells to ionizing radiation leads to a loss of therapy effectiveness. The toxicity of radiotherapy is determined by mitochondria, and the use of mitochondria or their components in combination with chemo-radio and immunotherapy can increase the effectiveness of treatment. In this review, we have reviewed new, experimental methods for using mitochondria in cancer therapy. Literature data indicate that although the physiological transport of mitochondria promotes carcinogenesis and resistance to chemotherapy, transplantation of exogenous mitochondria, on the contrary, induces radiosensitivity and inhibits tumor growth in mouse models of cancer. Therefore, inhibition of endogenous transfer of cancer mitochondria or the development of methods for the delivery of exogenous mitochondria is a promising area for the development of anti-cancer drugs.