Cancer Patients With Mutated Mitochondria Respond Better to Treatment

Mutated mitochondrial DNA is common among cancer patients, and luckily, it may provide a way to bolster treatment.
Cancer Patients With Mutated Mitochondria Respond Better to Treatment
Our cells contain mitochondria, which produce the energy molecule that all cells depend on. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock
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Scientists have discovered a link between mutated mitochondria in cancer patients and a successful response to immunotherapy, signaling a new potential treatment.

According to a new study published in Nature Cancer, nearly half of all cancer patients have mitochondria with DNA mutations. The mutations are a blessing of sorts, as they help the body respond to immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment. In fact, the treatment can be significantly more effective when mitochondria are defective.

A.C. Dahnke
A.C. Dahnke
Author
A.C. Dahnke is a freelance writer and editor residing in California. She has covered community journalism and health care news for nearly a decade, winning a California Newspaper Publishers Award for her work.
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