Mitochondrial Metabolism Alterations in Health and Disease

Mitochondria are key organelles responsible for cell energy production, and they are essential for eukaryotic life. They take part in critical metabolic pathways and are fully integrated into intracellular signaling networks, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial functions extend beyond cell boundaries and influence the organisms' physiology by regulating the communication between cells and tissues. Mitochondria are involved in a range of conditions, including inherited mitochondrial disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, dystrophies, heart failure, cardiac dysfunction, vascular diseases and atherosclerosis, pulmonary and respiratory disorders, renal diseases, metabolic disorders, diabetes, aging, and cancer. Therefore, they are attracting increasing attention with the aim of fully understanding the link between the mitochondrial metabolism and the dysregulation of many cellular processes.