Unlocking the mitochondrial functional code: unraveling the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer and innovative targets to inhibit malignant behavior.

This article focuses on ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecological malignancy, whose risk is influenced by multiple factors, including genetic background, age, reproductive history, parity, obesity status, and smoking habits. Mitochondria, as the core organelles in eukaryotic cells, play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of OC. In recent years, growing evidence has revealed a close relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and the accelerated proliferation, enhanced invasiveness, metastasis ability, and therapy resistance of OC.