Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2023; 29(3): 469-486
Published online Jan 21, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i3.469
Review of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer: Friends or foes?
Zheng Wu, Ze-Xuan Fang, Yan-Yu Hou, Bing-Xuan Wu, Yu Deng, Hua-Tao Wu, Jing Liu
Zheng Wu, Ze-Xuan Fang, Yan-Yu Hou, Jing Liu, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
Bing-Xuan Wu, Yu Deng, Hua-Tao Wu, Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Liu J and Wu HT designed the research study; Wu Z, Fang ZX, Hou YY, Wu BX and Deng Y performed the research; Wu Z, Fang ZX, Hou YY, Wu BX and Deng Y analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Liu J revised the manuscript critically; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81501539; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, No. 2021A1515012180 and 2016A030312008; Special Grant for Key Area Programs of Guangdong Department of Education, No. 2021ZDZX2004; Science and Technology Special Project of Guangdong Province, No. 210715216902829; and “Dengfeng Project” for the Construction of High-level Hospitals in Guangdong Province-First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University College Supporting Funding, No. 202003-10.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Jing Liu, MD, PhD, Academic Research, Associate Professor, Research Scientist, Senior Scientist, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 7 Raoping Road, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China. jliu12@stu.edu.cn
Received: October 14, 2022
Peer-review started: October 14, 2022
First decision: November 17, 2022
Revised: November 30, 2022
Accepted: December 21, 2022
Article in press: December 21, 2022
Published online: January 21, 2023
Abstract

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered type of cell-regulated death. It is characterized by the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and can be distinguished from other forms of cell-regulated death by different morphology, biochemistry, and genetics. Recently, studies have shown that ferroptosis is associated with a variety of diseases, including liver, kidney and neurological diseases, as well as cancer. Ferroptosis has been shown to be associated with colorectal epithelial disorders, which can lead to cancerous changes in the gut. However, the potential role of ferroptosis in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still controversial. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis in CRC, this article systematically reviews ferroptosis, and its cellular functions in CRC, for furthering the understanding of the pathogenesis of CRC to aid clinical treatment.

Keywords: Ferroptosis, Colorectal cancer, Cell death, Therapy

Core Tip: Ferroptosis, a novel type of cell-regulated death, has diverse roles in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancers (CRCs). This article reviews the cellular functions of ferroptosis in CRC, providing potential therapeutic targets and treatment strategies for patients with CRC.