The PINK1-Parkin pathway’s role in removing damaged mitochondria during sepsis: helpful or harmful?

The review identifies four key pathways that may interact with mitophagy in the context of sepsis.

• Oxidative stress, the cGAS-STING axis, NF-κB signaling, and inflammasome activation are proposed to contribute to sepsis pathogenesis through their interaction with mitophagy.
• Mitophagy is implicated in various biological processes related to sepsis, including pathogen infection and inflammatory responses.
• There is ongoing debate regarding the precise mechanisms of mitophagy during mitochondrial damage in sepsis.
• Potential therapeutic agents that may regulate the PINK1-Parkin pathway include PINK1 activators, Parkin recruiters, deubiquitinase inhibitors, and upstream pathway modulators.
• Regulating mitophagy could provide protective effects against multi-organ injuries associated with sepsis, such as septic encephalopathy and acute lung injury.

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