Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (20): 4276-4285.doi: 10.12307/2025.700

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Mitochondrial dysfunction in tendinopathy: possibility of mitochondria-targeting therapy

Yang Shuo1, Zhang Zhen2, Bai Shuo3, Sheng Li4, Shen Liang5, Sun Qingfeng1, Gao Beiyao6, Ge Ruidong6, Jiang Shan6     

  1. 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China; 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Da Wang Lu Emergency Hospital, Beijing 100122, China; 3Beijing Chaoyang District Taiyanggong Community Health Service Center, Beijing 100028, China; 4School of sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100091, China; 5Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chifeng City Hospital, Chifeng 024000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China; 6Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China 
  • Received:2024-08-05 Accepted:2024-09-19 Online:2025-07-18 Published:2024-12-21
  • Contact: Ge Ruidong, MD, Associate chief therapist, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China Co-corresponding author: Jiang Shan, Chief physician, Associate professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
  • About author:Yang Shuo, Master candidate, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities, Nos. 2020064 (to GRD) and 2024043 (to SL)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Various clinical strategies for the treatment of tendinopathy have good short-term effects but poor long-term effects, and some studies have proven that mitochondria are closely related to the occurrence and development of tendinopathy. However, the relationship between mitochondria and tendinopathy and mitochondria-targeting therapeutic strategies for tendinopathy have not been summarized so far, which is not good for specialists and scholars in related fields to understand the recent research situation.
OBJECTIVE: To review the existing clinical or preclinical original studies, in order to summarize the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and tendinopathy and the mitochondria-targeting methods for the treatment of tendinopathy, and to provide certain prospects for the evaluation and management of mitochondria in tendinopathy in the future.
METHODS: The relevant literatures in PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang and VIP databases were searched. The search time was from January 2009 to March 2024, and the search terms were “tendinopathy, tendon injuries, tendon, tendons, mitochondria, mitochondria dysfunction, mitochondria disease” both in English and Chinese. According to the exclusion and inclusion criteria, 62 articles were finally included for review and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) In clinical tendinopathy patients or tendinopathy models, mitochondrial dysfunction is common, mainly represented by excessive production of reactive oxygen species, decreased activity of superoxide dismutase, ridge clutter and decreased number of mitochondria, which indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction will occur due to tendon injury, thus further worsening tendinopathy and forming a vicious cycle. (2) When the tendon has not been injured or tendinopathy has not yet occurred, the mitochondrial function will be affected by various internal and external factors, resulting in tendinopathy. This indicates that the normal tendon will be damaged, lesioned or even ruptured due to the abnormal function of the mitochondria. (3) Mechanical tensile stress, advanced glycosylation end products, aging and other internal and external factors are the main causes of mitochondrial dysfunction, and these factors will damage and weaken the biological activity and mechanical properties of normal tendons through molecular mechanisms such as apoptosis, inflammation and respiratory chain damage, and thereby induce tendinopathy. (4) According to molecular mechanisms, mitochondria-targeting therapies mainly include mitochondrial transfer/transplantation, transplantation, targeted antioxidants, etc. (5) This review mainly aims at clinical patients with tendinopathy or animal models with similar modeling methods, providing a reliable idea for clinical exploration of the pathogenesis of tendinopathy and targeted therapies for tendinopathy. However, the disadvantage is that the included studies are mainly animal experiments, and there is a lack of more clinical trials for verification.

Key words: mitochondria, mitochondrial disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, tendinopathy, tendon injury, tendinitis, oxidative stress, biological activity, molecular mechanism, review

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