Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (23): 5897-5905.doi: 10.12307/2026.346

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Mitophagy impairment mediated muscular atrophy: insights from the Drosophila model

Li Zijing1, Chen Xuwu2, Ouyang Xinye3, Wang Maoyuan4, 5, 6   

  1. 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, 2School of Rehabilitation, 3The First School of Clinical Medicine, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China; 4First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China; 5Ganzhou Intelligent Rehabilitation Technological Innovation Center, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China; 6Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Received:2025-05-26 Accepted:2025-08-29 Online:2026-08-18 Published:2025-12-30
  • Contact: Wang Maoyuan, MD, Professor, Chief physician, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China; Ganzhou Intelligent Rehabilitation Technological Innovation Center, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China; Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China
  • About author:Li Zijing, MS candidate, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Major Project of Ganzhou Science and Technology Bureau, No. 2023LNS37155 (to WMY); National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82060420 (to WMY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Muscular atrophy is a pathological process characterized by the progressive decline in muscle mass and function, which severely affects patients’ quality of life. In recent years, the role of mitophagy, as an important mitochondrial quality control mechanism for maintaining intracellular homeostasis, has attracted significant attention in the context of muscle atrophy. Drosophila, as a classical model organism, has become a crucial tool for studying the connection between muscle atrophy and mitophagy mechanism due to its conserved muscle functional structure and straightforward genetic manipulation.
OBJECTIVE: To review the molecular mechanism of mitophagy dysfunction in muscular atrophy and to summarize the research progress of relevant Drosophila models in this field, with the aim of providing new insights and directions for the study of the pathological mechanism and the development of therapeutic strategies for muscular atrophy.
METHODS: PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were screened, using the keywords “skeletal muscle, muscle regenerate, denervation muscle atrophy, muscle atrophy, sarcopenia, drosophila, drosophila melanogaster, mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction” in English and Chinese respectively, with literature tracing methods. The search covered the period from January 2001 to February 2025. After screening, 68 articles were included for review and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The studies on the Drosophila model indicate that mitophagy plays a pivotal role in the development of muscular atrophy. Mitophagy dysfunction leads to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria within muscle cells, subsequently triggers oxidative stress, energy metabolism disorders and etc., induces apoptosis, and exacerbates muscular atrophy. Furthermore, the Drosophila model exhibits significant advantages in screening potential therapeutic targets and identifying intervention strategies, which provides a new way to study the mechanism of muscle atrophy and develop therapeutic strategies in muscle atrophy. To summarize the research outcomes of the Drosophila model, the strategy of regulating mitophagy is emphasized to treat muscle atrophy; the unique advantages of the Drosophila model is highlighted in the study of the molecular mechanism of mitophagy and muscular atrophy. Future research should integrate translational medicine, high-throughput molecular screening technologies, and multi-omics approaches to further explore the unknown molecular mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets of mitophagy and muscle atrophy.

Key words: muscle atrophy, mitophagy, Drosophila, molecular mechanism, pathological mechanism, intervention strategy, review

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