Mitophagy’s impacts on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases: implications for future therapies

Substantial evidence supports an inverse relationship between cancer and neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), but few studies investigate the biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. While previous explanations—such as inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), genetic mutations, and cell death—remain significant, they ultimately converge on mitophagy. This review identifies mitophagy as a pivotal factor in the development of both cancer and NDDs, while also evaluating specific mechanisms and processes to clarify how mitophagy connects these opposing disease trajectories. By examining these factors, we aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms that explain the inverse relationship between cancer and NDDs, which will help develop therapeutic strategies that target common factors for both conditions.