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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics
04:01

Author Spotlight: Tracing the Ferroptotic Signatures and Cell Death Dynamics in Medulloblastoma for Advanced Therapeutics

Published on: March 15, 2024

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ATF4 in cellular stress, ferroptosis, and cancer

Hu Tang1, Rui Kang2, Jiao Liu3

  • 1DAMP Laboratory, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, Guangdong, China.

Archives of Toxicology
|February 21, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a stress-induced factor that can inhibit or promote ferroptosis. Understanding ATF4

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Stress Response
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a key regulator of cellular stress responses, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and amino acid deprivation.
  • ATF4 modulates gene expression to promote cell survival under adverse conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structure, modifications, and functions of ATF4.
  • To elucidate the complex and dual role of ATF4 in ferroptosis.
  • To explore the implications of ATF4 in ferroptosis and ER stress for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of ATF4 functions.
  • Analysis of ATF4's role in ferroptosis pathways.
  • Examination of ATF4's impact on ER stress.

Main Results:

  • ATF4 exhibits a dual role in ferroptosis, capable of both promoting and inhibiting this cell death pathway.
  • The interplay between ATF4, ferroptosis, and ER stress is intricate and context-dependent.
  • ATF4's modulation of ferroptosis is linked to its role in managing ER stress.

Conclusions:

  • ATF4's complex regulation of ferroptosis presents therapeutic opportunities, particularly for apoptosis-resistant cancers.
  • Targeting the ATF4 pathway could offer novel strategies for cancer treatment by manipulating ferroptosis.
  • Further research into the ATF4-ferroptosis axis is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies.
Keywords:
ATF4CancerCellular stressFerroptosis

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