The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury
Chemotherapeutic agents play a crucial role in cancer treatment. However, their use is often associated with significant adverse effects, particularly cardiotoxicity. Drugs such as anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin) and platinum-based agents (e.g., cisplatin) cause mitochondrial damage, which is one...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/3/176 |
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| author | Chih-Jen Liu Lu-Kai Wang Fu-Ming Tsai |
| author_facet | Chih-Jen Liu Lu-Kai Wang Fu-Ming Tsai |
| author_sort | Chih-Jen Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chemotherapeutic agents play a crucial role in cancer treatment. However, their use is often associated with significant adverse effects, particularly cardiotoxicity. Drugs such as anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin) and platinum-based agents (e.g., cisplatin) cause mitochondrial damage, which is one of the main mechanisms underlying cardiotoxicity. These drugs induce oxidative stress, leading to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn damage the mitochondria in cardiomyocytes, resulting in impaired cardiac function and heart failure. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (MTAs) have emerged as a promising cardioprotective strategy, offering a potential solution. These agents efficiently scavenge ROS within the mitochondria, protecting cardiomyocytes from oxidative damage. Recent studies have shown that MTAs, such as elamipretide, SkQ1, CoQ10, and melatonin, significantly mitigate chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. These antioxidants not only reduce oxidative damage but also help maintain mitochondrial structure and function, stabilize mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevent excessive opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, thus preventing apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. In this review, we integrate recent findings to elucidate the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and highlight the substantial therapeutic potential of MTAs in reducing chemotherapy-induced heart damage. These agents are expected to offer safer and more effective treatment options for cancer patients in clinical practice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-66d9b5a74e424db5a3d0d74384a8dd74 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1467-3037 1467-3045 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Current Issues in Molecular Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-66d9b5a74e424db5a3d0d74384a8dd742025-08-20T03:43:30ZengMDPI AGCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology1467-30371467-30452025-03-0147317610.3390/cimb47030176The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac InjuryChih-Jen Liu0Lu-Kai Wang1Fu-Ming Tsai2Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 231, TaiwanVeterinary Diagnostic Division, National Laboratory Animal Center, National Institutes of Applied Research, Taipei City 115, TaiwanDepartment of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City 231, TaiwanChemotherapeutic agents play a crucial role in cancer treatment. However, their use is often associated with significant adverse effects, particularly cardiotoxicity. Drugs such as anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin) and platinum-based agents (e.g., cisplatin) cause mitochondrial damage, which is one of the main mechanisms underlying cardiotoxicity. These drugs induce oxidative stress, leading to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn damage the mitochondria in cardiomyocytes, resulting in impaired cardiac function and heart failure. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (MTAs) have emerged as a promising cardioprotective strategy, offering a potential solution. These agents efficiently scavenge ROS within the mitochondria, protecting cardiomyocytes from oxidative damage. Recent studies have shown that MTAs, such as elamipretide, SkQ1, CoQ10, and melatonin, significantly mitigate chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. These antioxidants not only reduce oxidative damage but also help maintain mitochondrial structure and function, stabilize mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevent excessive opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, thus preventing apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. In this review, we integrate recent findings to elucidate the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity and highlight the substantial therapeutic potential of MTAs in reducing chemotherapy-induced heart damage. These agents are expected to offer safer and more effective treatment options for cancer patients in clinical practice.https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/3/176mitochondria-targeted antioxidantschemotherapeutic agentscardiotoxicityreactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Chih-Jen Liu Lu-Kai Wang Fu-Ming Tsai The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury Current Issues in Molecular Biology mitochondria-targeted antioxidants chemotherapeutic agents cardiotoxicity reactive oxygen species |
| title | The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury |
| title_full | The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury |
| title_fullStr | The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury |
| title_short | The Application and Molecular Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidants in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiac Injury |
| title_sort | application and molecular mechanisms of mitochondria targeted antioxidants in chemotherapy induced cardiac injury |
| topic | mitochondria-targeted antioxidants chemotherapeutic agents cardiotoxicity reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/3/176 |
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