A. A. Kaplia¹, L. V. Sorokina², S. V. Khyzhnyak³

¹Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
e-mail: kaplya@biochem.kiev.ua;
²ESC “Institute of Biology”, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine;
³National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

The novel ideas of fundamental role of mitochondria in the maintenance of viability of malignant cells have been reviewed. The modern state of research is considered in detail, including: mitochondrial control of the cellular redox state, sites of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in inner mitochondrial membrane and antioxidant protection   systems. Specificities of the structural-functional mitochondrial remodelling in malignant tumors, the mechanisms of the energy metabolism reprogramming, enhancement of the ROS production and adaptation to the hypoxic conditions and metabolic stress are analyzed. The available data including our research on transplanted tumors indicate that cytotoxic action of sodium dichloroacetate (the inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase) depends on biological properties of tumors and intensity of structural-functional mitochondrial rearrangement. Dichloroacetate turned out to be effective for sarcoma 37, but not for Lewis lung carcinoma.