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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 14, 2014; 20(14): 3950-3959
Published online Apr 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i14.3950
Published online Apr 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i14.3950
Somatic alterations in mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial dysfunction in gastric cancer progression
Hsin-Chen Lee, Chin-Wen Chi, Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Kuo-Hung Huang, Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Kuo-Hung Huang, Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Tien-Shun Yeh, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Chin-Wen Chi, Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Author contributions: Lee HC and Huang KH collected and analyzed the data; Lee HC, Yeh TS, and Chi CW wrote the paper.
Supported by A grant from the Center of Excellence for Cancer Research at Taipei Veterans General, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, No. DOH102-TDC-111-007, Executive Yuan; a grant from the Ministry of Education, Aim for the Top University Plan; and grant from the National Science Council, No. NSC101-2320-B-010-068-MY3, Taiwan
Correspondence to: Hsin-Chen Lee, Professor, Institute of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Li-Nong St., Sec. 2, Taipei 112, Taiwan. hclee2@ym.edu.tw
Telephone: +886-2-28267327 Fax: +886-2-28264372
Received: October 24, 2013
Revised: December 26, 2013
Accepted: February 26, 2014
Published online: April 14, 2014
Revised: December 26, 2013
Accepted: February 26, 2014
Published online: April 14, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: In this review, we summarize recent somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations identified in gastric cancer, and the relationship between these alterations and the clinicopathological features of gastric cancer. We suggest that point mutations and mtDNA copy number decreases are the two most common mtDNA alterations that potentially result in mitochondrial dysfunction in gastric cancer. Mitochondrial dysfunction-generated reactive oxygen species may be involved in the malignant changes of gastric cancer. The search for strategies to prevent the mtDNA alterations and inhibit the mitochondrial retrograde signaling will benefit the development of novel treatments for gastric cancer and other malignancies.