REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
This article is part of the Research TopicInflammation, Immunity, and Cancer: New Pathways Towards Therapeutic InnovationView all 30 articles
The Interplay Mechanisms Between Gut Microbiota and Ferroptosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Provisionally accepted
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, China
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing disorder driven by complex interactions between genetic susceptibility, immune dysregulation, and environmental factors. Ferroptosis has been identified as a key regulator in the progression of IBD. While much research focuses on endogenous signaling pathways, extrinsic mechanisms—particularly the modulation of IBD through the gut microbiota-induced ferroptosis remain underexplored. Dysregulated ferroptosis, influenced by gut microbiota, exacerbates microbial imbalance, creating a vicious cycle. Notably, the gut microbiota plays a critical role in IBD progression through multidimensional mechanisms, including regulation of metabolites, maintenance of immune homeostasis, and protection of the intestinal barrier. This review examines the microbiota–ferroptosis axis in IBD pathogenesis, aiming to provide insights into potential therapeutic strategies. In particular, we discuss emerging treatments targeting ferroptosis inhibition, iron homeostasis regulation, and microbiota interventions, which hold promise for improving clinical outcomes and promoting pathological recovery in IBD patients.
Keywords: ferroptosis, Gut Microbiota, Iron, iron homeostasis, Lipid Peroxidation
Received: 25 Nov 2025; Accepted: 02 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Shi, Zhang, Zhai, Wu, Li, Xu and Zhang. 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:
Huibin Xu
Shanlong Zhang
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