Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2024; 30(32): 3730-3738
Published online Aug 28, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i32.3730
Ferroptosis in liver diseases: Fundamental mechanism and clinical implications
Ming-Shuang Lai, Xi-Peng Yan, Donald R Branch, Melika Loriamini, Li-Min Chen
Ming-Shuang Lai, Xi-Peng Yan, Li-Min Chen, The Joint Laboratory on Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases (TTDs) Between Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Nanning Blood Center, Nanning 530003, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Donald R Branch, Melika Loriamini, Department of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Hamilton 397086, Canada
Li-Min Chen, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory for Transfusion-transmitted Infectious Diseases of the Health Commission of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610052, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Chen LM was responsible for designing the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Lai MS and Yan XP contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript; Branch DR and Loriamini M polished the language; all the authors have read and revised the final manuscript.
Supported by The Guangxi Natural Science Foundation Youth Science Foundation, No. 2024GXNSFBA010047.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest associated with any of authors who contributed their efforts in this manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Li-Min Chen, PhD, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory for Transfusion-transmitted Infectious Diseases of the Health Commission of Sichuan Province, No. 148 East Third Section, Chengdu 610052, Sichuan Province, China. limin_chen_99@126.com
Received: March 20, 2024
Revised: July 17, 2024
Accepted: August 5, 2024
Published online: August 28, 2024
Processing time: 160 Days and 1.4 Hours
Abstract

This editorial discusses a recently published paper in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Our research focuses on p53's regulatory mechanism for controlling ferroptosis, as well as the intricate connection between ferroptosis and liver diseases. Ferroptosis is a specific form of programmed cell death that is de-pendent on iron and displays unique features in terms of morphology, biology, and genetics, distinguishing it from other forms of cell death. Ferroptosis can affect the liver, which is a crucial organ responsible for iron storage and meta-bolism. Mounting evidence indicates a robust correlation between ferroptosis and the advancement of liver disorders. P53 has a dual effect on ferroptosis through various distinct signaling pathways. However, additional investigations are required to clarify the regulatory function of p53 metabolic targets in this complex association with ferroptosis. In the future, researchers should clarify the mechanisms by which ferroptosis and other forms of programmed cell death contribute to the progression of liver diseases. Identifying and controlling important regulatory factors associated with ferroptosis present a promising therapeutic strategy for liver disorders.

Keywords: Liver disease; P53; Programmed cell death; Ferroptosis; Therapeutic target

Core Tip: Ferroptosis is closely linked to the development and advancement of different liver diseases. A comprehensive examination of the fundamental processes and controlling factors that govern ferroptosis offer new perspectives and potential strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of liver diseases. Recent studies have discovered that drugs that control ferroptosis, as well as interventions that focus on iron metabolism and oxidative stress, have the potential to be used in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.