Metabolic and Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Age-Associated Cancers

Cancer is fundamentally a disease of aging. As global populations grow older, the incidence of age-associated cancers, including glioblastoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and haematological malignancies, continues to rise. Yet the influence of aging biology on how tumours develop resistance to therapy remains poorly understood, and is rarely integrated into clinical treatment strategy.Aging drives profound metabolic remodelling at the cellular level: mitochondrial dysfunction accumulates, oxidative phosphorylation becomes dysregulated, reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling is altered, and nutrient-sensing pathways shift. Mounting evidence suggests that these same metabolic changes, when co-opted by cancer cells, create a fertile environment for the emergence of drug resistance. Warburg-like metabolic switching, mitochondrial biogenesis, upregulation of drug efflux transporters such as ABCB1/MDR1, and rewired redox homeostasis have each been implicated in chemotherapy failure in older patients. Despite this, the precise mechanisms linking the aged tumour microenvironment to therapy resistance remain incompletely defined.This Research Topic invites contributions that explore the intersection of aging biology, tumour metabolism, and drug resistance. We welcome mechanistic, translational, and clinical studies addressing but not limited to the following themes:1. Mitochondrial dysfunction and bioenergetic reprogramming as drivers of chemotherapy resistance in aging tumours2. The role of ROS, oxidative stress, and redox signalling in multidrug resistance across age-associated cancers3. ABCB1/MDR1 and ABC transporter upregulation in the context of metabolic and mitochondrial alterations in aged cancer cells4. Warburg effect, aerobic glycolysis, and metabolic symbiosis between tumour cells and the aged stroma5. Age-related changes in the tumour microenvironment and their impact on therapeutic response6. Mitophagy, mitochondrial quality control, and their roles in sustaining drug-resistant cancer cell populations7. Novel mitochondria-targeting or metabolism-targeting strategies to overcome drug resistance in elderly cancer patients8. Biomarkers of metabolic drug resistance with clinical relevance in aging patient populationsWe welcome Original Research, Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Mini Reviews, and Perspective articles. Topic editors: Manendra Singh Tomar, Ashutosh Shrivastava Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82602/metabolic-and-mitochondrial-mechanisms-of-drug-resistance-in-age-associated-cancers