Ferroptosis: Disease Associations and Therapeutic Target Exploration

Ferroptosis, a distinct form of cell death, is transforming the understanding of complex diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders. Driven by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, ferroptosis offers significant therapeutic potential by selectively targeting diseased cells. Ferroptosis is closely associated with renal impairment, metabolic disease, and neurological disorders. The current focus is on understanding the signaling pathways of ferroptosis to precisely regulate the ferroptosis mechanism. For example, ferroptosis increases intracellular selenium content and synergistically activates transcription factors transcription factor AP-2 gamma and specificity protein 1 to promote glutathione peroxidase-4 expression (GPX4). Despite its broad therapeutic potential, significant challenges remain, particularly in uncovering the detailed molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and minimizing off-target effects. However, in the past two years, there has been a few comprehensive reviews on the exploration of therapeutic targets related to ferroptosis in disease treatment. This article provides a summary of the current understanding of ferroptosis mechanisms, its links to various diseases, and the exploration of potential therapeutic targets. By elucidating the complex molecular pathways of ferroptosis and highlighting its role in disease progression, we gain new insights for potential therapeutic strategies. This underscores the substantial theoretical significance of targeting ferroptosis for treatment purposes.