Arnicolide C induces ferroptosis in liver cancer through modulation of the HMOX1-TRC8 axis

Liver cancer remains a significant therapeutic challenge, underscoring the urgent need for novel treatment strategies. Recently, induction of ferroptosis has emerged as a promising approach for treating malignant tumors. In this study, we identified Arcnicolide C (ArC) as an effective ferroptosis inducer in liver cancer. ArC markedly suppressed viability and clonogenic growth across multiple liver cancer cell lines. Notably, these anti-proliferative effects were selectively ameliorated by ferroptosis inhibitors. ArC treatment triggered characteristic ferroptotic events, including iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, glutathione depletion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and loss of GPX4 enzymatic activity. Multi-omics analysis revealed HMOX1 as a key target, with ArC upregulating HMOX1 protein expression without altering its transcription. Functional studies confirmed the critical role of HMOX1 in ArC-induced ferroptosis, as HMOX1 knockdown attenuated ferroptotic cell death and restored proliferative capacity. Mechanistically, ArC interacted with HMOX1 protein, disrupted its binding to the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRC8, and thereby inhibited HMOX1 ubiquitination, leading to protein stabilization. In vivo, ArC potently inhibited the growth of liver cancer xenografts, exhibiting anti-tumor efficacy comparable to sorafenib but with an improved safety profile. This anti-tumor activity was also demonstrated to depend on the ferroptosis pathway. Collectively, our findings establish ArC as a ferroptosis inducer that acts through direct interaction with and stabilization of HMOX1, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic candidate for liver cancer.