An overview about mitochondrial DNA mutations in ovarian cancer

Abstract

Background: Ovarian tumour is the second most common form of cancer affecting female reproductive system and the most lethal of the gynaecological malignancies. Since past decades, tremendous efforts have been made to illuminate the molecular basis for initiation and progression of ovarian carcinoma. A low quantity of dysfunction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is considered to be a risk factor for variety of cancer types. Mitochondrial dysfunctions have been allied with varied metabolic diseases and for occurrence of cancer. Researches say that mtDNA have pivotal role in development of cancer but future work has to be carried out to know the exact significance of specific mitochondrial mutations linked with cancer and disease progression. Most of mtDNA mutations in gynecological cancers are observed in the D-loop region. Objective: This review article provides a detailed summary about the ovarian cancer and mutations observed in mtDNA. Result: Furthermore, this review offers some perspective as to the mtDNA origin of these mutations in ovarian cancer, their functional consequences in ovarian cancer development, to check for incidence rate for transmission of the disease through maternal lineages and possible diagnostic marker implication.

Keywords

• Ovarian cancer
• Mitochondrial DNA
• Diagnostic marker
• Gynaecological cancers