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Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics
Published on: March 15, 2024
Ionizing radiation-induced mitophagy promotes ferroptosis by increasing intracellular free fatty acids
Pengfei Yang1,2, Jin Li1,3, Tianyi Zhang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Space Radiobiology of Gansu Province & Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
Abstract:
Ferroptosis is a type of cell death characterized by the accumulation of intracellular iron and an increase in hazardous lipid peroxides. Ferroptosis and autophagy are closely related. Ionizing radiation is a frequently used cancer therapy to kill malignancies. We found that ionizing radiation induces both ferroptosis and autophagy and that there is a form of mutualism between the two processes. Ionizing radiation also causes lipid droplets to form in proximity to damaged mitochondria, which, through the action of mitophagy, results in the degradation of the peridroplet mitochondria by lysosomes and the consequent release of free fatty acids and a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, thus promoting ferroptosis. Ionizing radiation has a stronger, fatal effect on cells with a high level of mitophagy, and this observation suggests a novel strategy for tumor treatment.
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