Molecular Targets of Ferroptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

J Hepatocell Carcinoma. 2021 Aug 24:8:985-996. doi: 10.2147/JHC.S325593. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Ferroptosis is a special form of regulatory cell death caused by the accumulation of intracellular iron and lipid peroxidation. Here, we summarize the research progress on ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), trace the development of the concept of ferroptosis and its key regulatory factors, and discuss the application value of ferroptosis in the treatment of HCC from different perspectives. We believe that exploring the relationship between ferroptosis and HCC and clarifying the metabolism and expression of ferroptosis-specific genes and molecules will accelerate the development of novel ferroptosis-related molecules as HCC markers and therapeutic targets. We hope to provide a theoretical basis for better diagnosis and treatment to effectively improve the prognosis of patients with HCC.

Keywords: ferroptosis; hepatocellular carcinoma; iron; lipid peroxidation; regulatory cell death; sorafenib.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82073045) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020TQ0384).