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REVIEW article

Oncol. Rev.

Sec. Oncology Reviews: Reviews

PINK1-Mediated Mitophagy: A Therapeutic Target for Tumor Drug Resistance

Provisionally accepted
  • 1Liuzhou Workers' Hospital, Liuzhou, China
  • 2Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, Wuhan, China
  • 3Liuzhou People's Hospital, Liuzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The phenomenon of tumor drug resistance occurs when cancer cells become unresponsive to treatment, a process influenced by a variety of intricate mechanisms. Recently, mitophagy has gained attention as a significant factor in the survival of tumor cells and their resistance to therapies. This selective autophagic process is responsible for eliminating damaged or unnecessary mitochondria, thereby preserving cellular balance, and is crucial in the context of cancer. High expression of PINK1 are closely linked to resistance to chemotherapy and poor patient outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PINK1's structure and functions, outlines the molecular pathways by which PINK1 governs mitophagy, and examines the physiological and pathological implications of mitophagy. Additionally, it investigates the mechanisms underlying tumor drug resistance and potential therapeutic approaches. Drawing from the current insights into the relationship between mitophagy and chemoresistance, we suggest innovative perspectives aimed at guiding new strategies for cancer therapy.

Keywords: PINK1, mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, Drug Resistance, Cancer

Received: 10 Jun 2025; Accepted: 14 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Li, Tang and Tang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Chaoyi Tang, tangcynn@163.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.