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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.

Sec. Inflammation

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1545339

This article is part of the Research Topic Crosstalk in Ferroptosis, Immunity & Inflammation View all 24 articles

Lipid Metabolism in Ferroptosis: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential

Provisionally accepted
Daoyun Sun Daoyun Sun 1Yufan Wu Yufan Wu 2*Yi Yu Yi Yu 1*Yufeng Yao Yufeng Yao 2*Hongju Yang Hongju Yang 3*Chunlin Hao Chunlin Hao 4*
  • 1 Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei Province, China
  • 3 Division of geriatric Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
  • 4 Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, plays a pivotal role in various physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we summarize the core mechanisms of ferroptosis, emphasizing its intricate connections to lipid metabolism, including fatty acid synthesis, phospholipid remodeling, and oxidation dynamics. We further highlight advancements in detection technologies, such as fluorescence imaging, lipidomics, and in vivo PET imaging, which have deepened our understanding of ferroptotic regulation. Additionally, we discuss the role of ferroptosis in human diseases, where it acts as a double-edged sword, contributing to cancer cell death while also driving ischemia-reperfusion injury and neurodegeneration. Finally, we explore therapeutic strategies aimed at either inducing or inhibiting ferroptosis, including iron chelation, antioxidant modulation, and lipid-targeted interventions. By integrating mechanistic 1 Daoyun Sun et al.Lipid Metabolism in Ferroptosis insights, disease relevance, and therapeutic potential, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on ferroptosis as a crucial interface between lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.

    Keywords: ferroptosis, Lipid Peroxidation, iron metabolism, antioxidant defence, Therapeutic targeting

    Received: 14 Dec 2024; Accepted: 12 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Sun, Wu, Yu, Yao, Yang and Hao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yufan Wu, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei Province, China
    Yi Yu, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei Province, China
    Yufeng Yao, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hebei Province, China
    Hongju Yang, Division of geriatric Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China
    Chunlin Hao, Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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