FIGURE 1.

Therapeutic targeting of mitochondrial metabolism in CSCs. Different aspects of the mitochondrial metabolism can be approached to target CSCs: (1) oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) can be impaired by ETC inhibitors such as the antidiabetic drugs metformin or phenformin, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) inductor and complex I inhibitor menadione, or the anti-Parkinson compound selegiline; (2) Mitochondrial biogenesis and translation can be targeted by FDA-approved antibiotics such as doxycycline, tigecycline, bedaquiline among others, or non-antibiotic inhibitors; (3) Mitochondrial dynamics can be disrupted by the mitochondrial division inhibitor Mdivi-1; (4) The blockage of mitophagy, an essential mitochondrial quality control system, with nanomedicines such as 188Re-liposome or the inhibitor liensinine may affect CSCs functions; (5) The use of nanocarriers (lipophilic cations, peptides and nanoparticles) conjugated with chemotherapeutics and small drugs may be used for a selective delivery of drugs in mitochondria.