Pharmacological significance of MitoQ in ameliorating mitochondria-related diseases

The Mitochondria is a critical sub-cellular organelle that plays an integral part in a normal cellular process. Besides ATP production, the mitochondria participate in various key cellular processes such as cell signaling, epigenetic regulation leading to cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, differentiation, and autophagy – highlighting their importance to cellular health. However, mitochondrial dysfunction has serious organismal consequences, playing critical roles in the pathophysiology of many diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, pulmonary and liver diseases. In recent years, mitochondrial dysfunction has spurred a surge of interest in developing mitochondria-targeted therapies. MitoQ is a selective antioxidant that concentrates in the mitochondria and prevents oxidative damage to the mitochondria. The therapeutic relevance of MitoQ has been studied in various diseased conditions to determine its efficacy in either slowing disease progression or alleviating symptoms. In this review, we discussed mitochondrial dysfunction in selected diseases and the therapeutic benefit of MitoQ in numerous studies.