The role of mitochondria-derived peptides in cardiovascular disease: Recent updates

Mitochondria-derived peptides (MDPs) are a series of peptides encoded by mitochondrial DNA, and have similar functions to mitochondria. At present there are three types of MDPs that have been found, including Humanin, MOTS-c and SHLP1-6. They are new metabolic regulators of human body, and play a cytoprotective role in maintaining mitochondrial function and cell viability under pressure. Increasingly researchers have demonstrated that MDPs have proved effects on cell survival, metabolism, response to stressors, and inflammation in vivo and vitro. Recently with the advance of research, it have shown that MDPs have significant effects on the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In this review, we will cover the relationships of MDPs with cardiovascular risk factors, myocardial ischemia, reperfusion injury, myocardial fibrosis, and coronary microcirculatory dysfunction, and also their possible pathogenic mechanisms. MDPs are considered to be novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CVD.