Eli5: Since Mitochondria play an important role in cancer through macromolecular synthesis and energy production, why are we not targeting those energy path ways to exhaust cancer?

Question

Eli5: Since Mitochondria play an important role in cancer through macromolecular synthesis and energy production, why are we not targeting those energy path ways to exhaust cancer?

In: 3

Answer 1

That is quite a “technically the truth” statement.

Yes mitochondria power cancer cells… Because they power ALL (eukariote) cells.

So it’s kind of like saying “food gives criminals energy to commit crimes, so bomb the supermarkets”.

The reason why cancer cells are cancerous is unrelated (to do with unrestricted cell division, disabling programmed cell death, commandeering blood flow etc.)