Ferroptosis
DEFerroptose
Ferroptosis is a controlled form of cell death driven by iron and runaway fat oxidation. Iron lets lipid peroxides (oxidized fats) build to lethal levels, which sets it apart from other death programs like apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis. The key guardian is an enzyme called GPX4. It uses the antioxidant glutathione to defuse those dangerous fat peroxides. When GPX4 cannot keep up (because glutathione runs low, GPX4 is blocked, or there is too much loose iron), the peroxides spread in a chain reaction that wrecks the cell membrane. Ferroptosis has been tied to neurodegeneration, damage from restored blood flow (ischemia-reperfusion), and cancer-cell death. Its role in tissue aging is an active research area, especially since GPX4 drops and iron builds up as you age.
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Sources
- Dixon et al.. (2012). Ferroptosis: an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death. *Cell*doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.03.042
- Stockwell et al.. (2017). Ferroptosis: A Regulated Cell Death Nexus Linking Metabolism, Redox Biology, and Disease. *Cell*doi:10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.021