Molecular mechanism of cell ferroptosis and research progress in regulation of ferroptosis by noncoding RNAs in tumor cells

摘要

Ferritin and its related genes, namely, ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) and ferritin light chain (FTL), regulate the iron ion storage. Heat shock protein B1 (HSPb1) inhibits TFR1 expression to reduce the intracellular iron concentration. Therefore, ferroptosis would be inhibited by overexpression of HSPb1. Iron response element binding protein 2 (IREB2), a major transcription factor involved in iron metabolism, can significantly increase FTL and FTH1 expression, and thus inhibit erastin-induced ferroptosis. The main mechanism of biological toxicity of iron ions is mediated by the classical Fenton reaction between Fe3+ and Fe2+, which produces hydroxyl radicals that can damage DNA, lipids, and proteins, and result in ferroptosis.