Ferroptosis: A key regulator and potential target for tissue injury

The maintenance of iron homeostasis is essential for proper body function. A growing body of evidence suggests that iron imbalance is the common denominator in many tissue injuries, including acute, chronic, and reperfusion injuries. Ferroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death due to metabolic abnormalities, has become increasingly recognized as an important process mediating the pathogenesis and progression of numerous tissue injuries, including cerebral, myocardial, lung, liver, kidney, and intestinal injuries. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of ferroptosis might contribute to improvements in disease management. In this review, we summarize the importance of ferroptosis in various tissue injuries, discuss the potential targets of ferroptosis in the treatment of tissue injuries, and describe the current limitations and future directions of these novel treatment targets.