Research mechanisms of and pharmaceutical treatments for ferroptosis in liver diseases

Abstract

Regulated cell death (RCD) is a universal process in living organisms that is essential for tissue homeostasis or to the restoration of biological equilibrium following stress. Ferroptosis is a specific nonapoptotic cell death that is dependent on iron and is very different from other forms of RCD. Ferroptosis can affect the development of liver diseases such as drug-induced liver injury (DILI), liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating the level of intracellular iron, the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxides. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of ferroptosis, in terms of discovery, history, characteristics, mechanism, and the factors regulating liver diseases. We discuss how these factors and signaling pathways change in the context of liver disease. Furthermore, we focus on delineating the roles of effective therapeutic drugs or compounds in liver disease. In summary, we discuss the role of ferroptosis in liver disease, providing a strategy and new ideas for preventing liver disease, finding new therapeutic targets, and reducing liver damage.

Keywords: Ferroptosis; Fibrosis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver injury; Mechanism.