Targeting ferroptosis opens new avenues in gliomas

Abstract

Gliomas are one of the most challenging tumors to treat due to their malignant phenotype, brain parenchymal infiltration, intratumoral heterogeneity, and immunosuppressive microenvironment, resulting in a high recurrence rate and dismal five-year survival rate. The current standard therapies, including maximum tumor resection, chemotherapy with temozolomide, and radiotherapy, have exhibited limited efficacy, which is caused partially by the resistance of tumor cell death. Recent studies have revealed that ferroptosis, a newly defined programmed cell death (PCD), plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of gliomas and significantly affects the efficacy of various treatments, representing a promising therapeutic strategy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in ferroptosis, its involvement and regulation in the pathophysiological process of gliomas, various treatment hotspots, the existing obstacles, and future directions worth investigating. Our review sheds light on providing novel insights into manipulating ferroptosis to provide potential targets and strategies of glioma treatment.