Perspectives in mitochondrial research. Foreword

I would like to express my appreciation to Angelo Azzi and to the Board of IUBMB Life for the initiative of a Special Issue on Mitochondria. In recent years we have witnessed a spectacular increase in the scope and impact of mitochondrial research beyond Bioenergetics and well into Cell Biology, Oncology, Immunology, Toxicology, Neurology and Cardiology. This is largely due to new discoveries on the pathophysiological role of mitochondria in cell death, and to the increasing awareness that mitochondria are mechanistically involved in a variety of diseases and in the aging and apoptotic processes. This renewed interest is reshaping the traditional boundaries of mitochondrial science, and this series of reviews is meant to provide a perspective for future studies.