Hypoxia therapy--a new hope for the treatment of mitochondrial dysfunctions.

Mitochondrial dysfunctions are characteristic features of numerous diseases and play a critical role in disease pathogenesis. Despite intensive research in this area, there are no approved therapies that directly target mitochondria. Recently a study by Jain et al. from Massachusetts General Hospital, USA reported the effectiveness of hypoxia for treatment of mitochondrial disease in mice. In this commentary, we summarized the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of hypoxia on mitochondrial dysfunction, and clinical limitations of hypoxia as a therapy for human patients. We hope that our concerns will be helpful for further clinical studies addressing moderate hypoxia in mitochondrial dysfunction.