Chen X, Zhang LL, Zhou Y, Dong DX, Qian XY. Mitochondrial autophagy in diabetes-related cognitive decline and skin ulcers: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications. World J Diabetes 2026; 17(3): 112177 [DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v17.i3.112177]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xiao-Ying Qian, Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University School of Medicine, No. 309 Shuangyuan Road, Nanhu District, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China. 19957380102@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Xing Chen, Ling-Ling Zhang, Yu Zhou, Dong-Xiang Dong, Xiao-Ying Qian, Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University School of Medicine, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Chen X wrote the paper; Zhang LL, Zhou Y and Dong DX gathered the information; Qian XY directed the study. The final article was examined, edited, and approved by all the authors, who also agreed to take responsibility for all the elements of the work and make critical revisions for significant intellectual content.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript.
Corresponding author: Xiao-Ying Qian, Department of Dermatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University School of Medicine, No. 309 Shuangyuan Road, Nanhu District, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China. 19957380102@163.com
Received: July 29, 2025 Revised: September 18, 2025 Accepted: January 12, 2026 Published online: March 15, 2026 Processing time: 226 Days and 1.5 Hours
Abstract
Diabetic skin ulcers significantly reduce the quality of life of patients with diabetes, and diabetes-related cognitive impairment is a cognitive deterioration that happens along the course of diabetes. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a major pathophysiology of skin ulcers and cognitive deterioration associated with diabetes. An essential component of the mitochondrial quality control system is mitochondrial autophagy, which aids in the removal of faulty mitochondria; preserving the health and regular operation of mitochondria requires both the preservation of mitochondrial function and the preservation of mitochondrial quality and activity. This review highlights key mitophagy pathways, including PINK1/Parkin-dependent and receptor-mediated mechanisms, and emphasizes their differential roles in diabetes-related cognitive impairment and skin ulcer healing, thereby providing a mechanistic framework for the development of targeted mitophagy-based therapeutic strategies.
Core Tip: The mechanism of mitochondrial autophagy in skin ulcers and cognitive decline associated with diabetes is the main topic of this review. This study aimed to clarify the crucial role of mitochondrial autophagy in maintaining the metabolic balance of cells, provide potential therapeutic strategies and intervention methods, and offer new concepts for the clinical management of diabetes-related complications. It also examined how mitochondrial autophagy reduces neurodegeneration brought on by diabetes and supports the molecular pathway of skin healing by removing damaged mitochondria.
