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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.

Sec. Inflammation

This article is part of the Research TopicCommunity Series in targeting signalling pathways in inflammatory diseases - Volume IIIView all articles

Redefining Cell Death: Ferroptosis as a Game-Changer in Ophthalmology

Provisionally accepted
Yuan WeiYuan Wei1Yumeng LinYumeng Lin2Youjiaxi LiYoujiaxi Li1Jiaxuan LiuJiaxuan Liu1Yaqi YangYaqi Yang1Haoran ChenHaoran Chen3Zhongyu HanZhongyu Han2Ke WangKe Wang4Tao QianTao Qian5Yuan JuYuan Ju1Wei ZhengWei Zheng1*
  • 1Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
  • 2Southeast University, Nanjing, China
  • 3Chengdu Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to North Sichuan Medical College, Chengdu, China
  • 4Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
  • 5Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China

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Ferroptosis, recently proposed as a novel type of cell death, is characterized by unique characteristics and recognition functions. It is involved in diverse physiological processes and in the onset and progression of various diseases and is characterized by reactions between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. This process is finely regulated by a variety of metabolic pathways. Ferroptosis fundamentally differs from conventional cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. In recent years, research on ferroptosis in the field of ophthalmology has gradually emerged, and a large amount of evidence has shown that it is closely related to the occurrence and development of ophthalmic diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIRI), retinitis pigmentosa, dry eye disease, cataracts and glaucoma. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in ferroptosis within ophthalmological research, and systematically describes the molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological significance of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis and progression of ophthalmic diseases. Exploring the mechanisms of ferroptosis holds promise for the delivery of novel molecular targets and therapeutic approaches to prevent and treat ophthalmic diseases. Additionally, its clinical translational and application is anticipated to surmount current therapeutic limitations and emerge as a significant direction for breakthroughs in the precision medicine era.

Keywords: ferroptosis, Eye, therapy, iron metabolism, TaO

Received: 20 Sep 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Wei, Lin, Li, Liu, Yang, Chen, Han, Wang, Qian, Ju and Zheng. 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: Wei Zheng, y1042593112@163.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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