REVIEW article
Front. Cell. Neurosci.
Sec. Cellular Neuropathology
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fncel.2025.1593963
This article is part of the Research TopicReviews in Cellular NeuropathologyView all 6 articles
Ferroptosis in Central Nervous System Injuries: Molecular Mechanisms, Diagnostic Approaches, and Therapeutic Strategies
Provisionally accepted
- First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
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Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, has emerged as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) injuries, including neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. This review highlights disrupted iron metabolism, glutathione depletion, and antioxidant system impairment as core mechanisms, alongside polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation contributing to neuronal damage. Diagnostic advancements, such as MRI-based iron quantification and lipid ROS detection, offer clinical potential but require validation. Therapeutic strategies, including iron chelators, antioxidants, and lipid metabolism modulators, demonstrate efficacy in preclinical models by attenuating ferroptosis. Translational challenges persist due to incomplete mechanistic insights, tissuespecific iron dynamics, and delivery limitations. The dual role of iron in CNS physiology and pathology underscores the need for interdisciplinary research to refine diagnostics and therapies.Emphasizing ferroptosis as a therapeutic target, this work advocates for a deeper exploration of immune interactions and combinatorial approaches to improve outcomes in CNS injuries.
Keywords: Neurological Injuries, ferroptosis, Iron, Lipid Peroxidation, Central Nervous System
Received: 15 Mar 2025; Accepted: 27 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Zhang, Chen, Wang and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jian Zhou, First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
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