Recent Progress in Ferroptosis Inducers for Cancer Therapy

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 31; no. 51; pp. e1904197 - n/a
• Main Authors: Liang, Chen, Zhang, Xinglin, Yang, Mengsu, Dong, Xiaochen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-12-2019
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biology; Cancer therapies; cancer therapy; Cell death; Ferroptosis - drug effects; ferroptosis inducers; Humans; iron metabolism; Literature reviews; Materials science; Nanomaterials; nanomedicine; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - pathology; Organic chemistry; Therapy; tumor microenvironment; iron metabolism; ferroptosis inducers; cancer therapy; nanomedicine; tumor microenvironment
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201904197

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of regulated cell death that is the nexus between metabolism, redox biology, and human health. Emerging evidence shows the potential of triggering ferroptosis for cancer therapy, particularly for eradicating aggressive malignancies that are resistant to traditional therapies. Recently, there has been a great deal of effort to design and develop anticancer drugs based on ferroptosis induction. Recent advances of ferroptosis‐inducing agents at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and cancer biology are presented. The basis of ferroptosis is summarized first to highlight the feasibility and characteristics of triggering ferroptosis for cancer therapy. A literature review of ferroptosis inducers (including small molecules and nanomaterials) is then presented to delineate their design, action mechanisms, and anticancer applications. Finally, some considerations for research on ferroptosis inducers are spotlighted, followed by a discussion on the challenges and future development directions of this burgeoning field.
Emerging evidence shows the therapeutic potential of ferroptosis inducers in cancer therapy, particularly for eradicating intractable malignancies that are resistant to traditional therapies. Recent advancements in ferroptosis inducers for cancer treatment are presented, including small molecules and nanomaterials. The remaining challenges and future development directions of this emerging field are also discussed.