Natural products targeting ferroptosis in cancer: molecular mechanisms and applications

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Ferroptosis is programmed cell death driven by iron and lipid peroxidation, implicated in various cancers.
• Current ferroptosis inducers (small molecules) show toxicity, limiting clinical use.
• Natural products offer a low-toxicity approach for cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis.
• To analyze how natural products targeting ferroptosis pathways impact tumor growth.
• To discuss the application of natural products in inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of ferroptosis mechanisms.
• Analysis of studies on natural products (flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids) and ferroptosis.
• Evaluation of natural products' efficacy in inducing ferroptosis in tumor cells.

Main Results:

• Natural products can induce ferroptosis in tumor cells, presenting a promising therapeutic strategy.
• Specific classes of natural products, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids, show potential.
• Ferroptosis induction by natural products offers a safer alternative to synthetic inducers.

Conclusions:

• Natural products represent a viable and less toxic option for targeting ferroptosis in cancer treatment.
• Further research into natural product-derived ferroptosis inducers is warranted for clinical applications.
• This review aids in discovering novel natural products for ferroptosis-based cancer therapy.