Pharmacological Targeting of Ferroptosis in Cancer Treatment

Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic mode of Regulated Cell Death (RCD) driven by excessive accumulation of toxic lipid peroxides and iron overload. Ferroptosis could be triggered by inhibiting the antioxidant defense system and accumulating iron-dependent Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that react with polyunsaturated fatty acids in abundance. Emerging evidence over the past few years has revealed that ferroptosis is of great potential in inhibiting growth and metastasis and overcoming tumor cell resistance. Thus, targeting this form of cell death could be perceived as a potentially burgeoning approach in cancer treatment. This review briefly presents the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis and further aims to discuss various types of existing drugs and natural compounds that could be potentially repurposed for targeting ferroptosis in tumor cells. This, in turn, will provide critical perspectives on future studies concerning ferroptosis-based cancer therapy.