Mitochondria-targeted delivery strategies for age-related diseases

Aging is a complex progress accompanied with the progressive deterioration of physiological functions and a marked elevation in mortality risk. Among prominent aging theories, the free radical theory and the mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis have gained significant attention. Thus, targeted delivery of therapeutic drug to mitochondria might be able to alleviate the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by reactive oxygen species. This review summarizes the possible molecular mechanisms between mitochondrial dysfunction and aging progression. Especially, the recent breakthroughs of mitochondrial-targeted delivery platforms for therapeutics against aging progress. Innovative strategies, including small molecular modification, mitochondrial targeting functional peptide guided delivery and some other strategies are discussed. Their translational potential in anti-aging interventions is evaluated. We anticipate that mitochondria-targeted anti-aging therapeutics will soon enter clinical translation, offering potential solutions to address current age-related challenges.