The Potential Roles of Ferroptosis in Pathophysiology and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Diseases—Opportunities, Challenges, and Perspectives

J. Clin. Med., 2023 · DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062125 · Published: March 8, 2023

Simple Explanation

Ferroptosis is a unique type of cell death different from apoptosis and autophagy. It involves iron metabolism and lipid peroxidation, making it a focal point in current disease research. Iron overload and lipid peroxide accumulation contribute to musculoskeletal diseases like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Understanding ferroptosis may offer new clinical diagnostic and treatment opportunities. This article reviews the relationship between ferroptosis and musculoskeletal disorders, exploring potential mechanisms to provide insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Study Duration

Until October 2022

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Review

Key Findings

1
Iron overload is an important risk factor for osteoporosis development and is positively correlated with its progression.
2
Synovitis, an important pathological process of OA, has been confirmed to be associated with ferroptosis, where iron content and MDA in synoviocytes are increased.
3
Ferroptosis plays a key role in immune function and tumor development, with compounds like PEITC inducing oxidative stress and decreasing GPX4 in osteosarcoma cells.

Research Summary

Ferroptosis, a novel form of cell death, has become a current research hotspot since it was discovered in 2012. Various studies have conﬁrmed that ferroptosis may play a key role in the development of various musculoskeletal diseases, and intervening in the process of ferroptosis can improve the development of related diseases to varying degrees. Targeting ferroptosis is expected to become an entry point for non-surgical treatment and early intervention in musculoskeletal diseases.

Practical Implications

Clinical Diagnosis

Understanding ferroptosis may provide new biomarkers for early diagnosis of musculoskeletal diseases.

Therapeutic Targets

Targeting ferroptosis-related pathways could lead to novel non-surgical treatments for these conditions.

Personalized Medicine

Identifying individuals at high risk of ferroptosis-related musculoskeletal diseases allows for targeted preventive strategies.

Study Limitations

1
The current understanding of ferroptosis is not comprehensive.
2
Many key problems remain to be solved.
3
Underlying molecular mechanisms of this process as well as other mechanisms mediating ROS accumulation in mitochondria in addition to the Fenton response still need further investigation.

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