1613-Mechano-Metabolic Control of Mitochondrial DNA Immunity

Paper Talk · Sep 25, 2026 · 22m

This research explores how tissue fluidization in breast cancer, driven by the protein RAB5A, triggers an innate immune response that makes tumors more susceptible to treatment. As cancer cells shift from a solid-like to a fluid-like state to facilitate invasion, they experience intense mechanical stress that disrupts mitochondrial function. This stress activates a mechano-metabolic feedback loop involving the AMPK–AKAP1–DRP1 pathway, leading to mitochondrial elongation and the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytoplasm. The presence of cytosolic mtDNA then triggers the…