Mitochondria in the line of fire

In this issue of Cell Death & Differentiation, two papers (a review and a research article) discuss and investigate the importance of targeting mitochondria to arrest cancer cell proliferation and overcome cell death resistance. The review by Sainero-Alcolado et al. summarizes the main metabolic derangements originating from specific mitochondrial defects and presents the mitochondrial enzymes that can be targeted by potential antineoplastic compounds [1]; Quarato et al. explored the mechanistic link between mitochondrial physiology, intracellular Ca2+ unbalance, and cell death.