Iron metabolism, ferroptosis, and lncRNA in cancer: knowns and unknowns

Iron metabolism, ferroptosis, and lncRNA in cancer: knowns and unknowns 癌症中的铁代谢、铁死亡和长链非编码RNA：已知与未知 1 2 3 equal first-author 1 2 3 equal 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 corresp Jian LIU, jianl@intl.zju.edu.cn Jian LIU, jianl@intl.zju.edu.cn jianl@intl.zju.edu.cn https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1447-0973 1 2 3 8 9 10 corresp Aifu LIN, linaifu@zju.edu.cn Aifu LIN, linaifu@zju.edu.cn linaifu@zju.edu.cn https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-3617 MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China 浙江大学生命科学学院生物系统稳态与保护教育部实验室，中国杭州市，310058 浙江大学生命科学学院生物系统稳态与保护教育部实验室，中国杭州市，310058 Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China 浙江大学癌症研究中心，中国杭州市，310058 浙江大学癌症研究中心，中国杭州市，310058 Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China Key Laboratory for Cell and Gene Engineering of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310058, China 浙江省细胞与基因工程重点实验室，中国杭州市，310058 浙江省细胞与基因工程重点实验室，中国杭州市，310058 Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, China 浙江大学医学院浙江大学爱丁堡大学联合学院，中国海宁市，314400 浙江大学医学院浙江大学爱丁堡大学联合学院，中国海宁市，314400 Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China 浙江省临床肿瘤药理与毒品理学研究重点实验室，浙江大学医学院附属杭州市第一人民医院，浙江大学癌症研究院，中国杭州市，310006 浙江省临床肿瘤药理与毒品理学研究重点实验室，浙江大学医学院附属杭州市第一人民医院，浙江大学癌症研究院，中国杭州市，310006 College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK 爱丁堡大学医学院和兽医学院，英国爱丁堡，EH16 4SB 爱丁堡大学医学院和兽医学院，英国爱丁堡，EH16 4SB Biomedical and Health Translational Research Center of Zhejiang Province, Haining 314400, China Biomedical and Health Translational Research Center of Zhejiang Province, Haining 314400, China 浙江省生物医学与工程转化国际科技合作基地，中国海宁市，314400 浙江省生物医学与工程转化国际科技合作基地，中国海宁市，314400 Breast Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China Breast Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China 浙江大学医学院附属第一医院乳腺疾病诊治中心，中国杭州市，310003 浙江大学医学院附属第一医院乳腺疾病诊治中心，中国杭州市，310003 International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China International School of Medicine, International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China 浙江大学医学院第四附属医院国际医学院，中国义乌市，322000 浙江大学医学院第四附属医院国际医学院，中国义乌市，322000 ZJU-QILU Joint Research Institute, Hangzhou 310058, China ZJU-QILU Joint Research Institute, Hangzhou 310058, China 浙江大学-齐鲁制药联合研究院，中国杭州市，310058 浙江大学-齐鲁制药联合研究院，中国杭州市，310058 Cancer cells undergo substantial metabolic alterations to sustain increased energy supply and uncontrolled proliferation. As an essential trace element, iron is vital for many biological processes. Evidence has revealed that cancer cells deploy various mechanisms to elevate the cellular iron concentration to accelerate proliferation. Ferroptosis, a form of cell death caused by iron-catalyzed excessive peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), is a promising therapeutic target for therapy-resistant cancers. Previous studies have reported that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a group of critical regulators involved in modulating cell metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, and ferroptosis. In this review, we summarize the associations among iron metabolism, ferroptosis, and ferroptosis-related lncRNA in tumorigenesis. This information will help deepen understanding of the role of lncRNA in iron metabolism and raise the possibility of targeting lncRNA and ferroptosis in cancer combination therapy. 代谢重编程是肿瘤标志性事件之一，癌细胞通过代谢重编程满足自身能量供应以及无限增殖。铁作为生命必要微量元素之一，对多种生物学过程包括DNA合成和修复、细胞呼吸、氧气运输、脂质氧化、信号转导等过程至关重要。研究表明，癌细胞通过多种机制增加细胞内铁离子浓度以促进细胞增殖。铁死亡是一种由铁催化的多不饱和脂肪酸过氧化引起的细胞死亡形式，是治疗耐药性肿瘤的潜在治疗靶点。长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）作为一种新型调控元件参与调节细胞代谢、增殖、凋亡和铁死亡等多种细胞过程。在本综述中，我们总结了铁代谢、铁死亡和lncRNA在肿瘤发生中的关系。深入探讨lncRNA在肿瘤铁死亡中的作用，将为联合靶向lncRNA和铁死亡相关分子在肿瘤治疗中提供新的策略和视角。 Iron metabolism Ferroptosis Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Tumorigenesis 铁代谢 铁死亡 长链非编码RNA（lncRNA） 肿瘤发生 1 Introduction 1 Iron is an integral fundamental trace element for various cellular processes. By being integrated into the heme and Fe-S cluster ( Shimizu et al., 2019 Shimizu et al., 2019 ; Lill and Freibert, 2020 Lill and Freibert, 2020 ), iron is necessary for many iron-containing enzymes involved in DNA synthesis and repair ( Netz et al., 2011 Netz et al., 2011 ), cell respiration ( Goldberg et al., 2008 Goldberg et al., 2008 ), oxygen transport ( Goldberg et al., 2008 Goldberg et al., 2008 ), lipid oxidation ( Kagan et al., 2017 Kagan et al., 2017 ), and cell signaling ( Cinelli et al., 2020 Cinelli et al., 2020 ). Therefore, iron is vital for cell replication, metabolism, and growth. However, the ease with which iron can gain or lose electrons gives it the ability to participate in harmful reactions generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA, and lead to cell pathogenesis ( Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 ). Therefore, iron is both beneficial and potentially toxic. Abnormal iron metabolism in an organism is associated with many diseases. Iron deficiency usually causes iron deficiency anemia ( Pasricha et al., 2021 Pasricha et al., 2021 ). In contrast, iron overload is a common cause of cancer ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). For example, iron may promote tumor initiation by inducing the generation of free radicals and subsequent cell damage ( Barnes et al., 2018 Barnes et al., 2018 ), as well as function as a nutrient that fosters tumor cell proliferation ( Schonberg et al., 2015 Schonberg et al., 2015 ; Xue et al., 2016 Xue et al., 2016 ). Compared to normal cells, the expression of genes related to iron uptake, storage, and import is disturbed in cancer cells, and the net result is elevation of the cellular iron concentration ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ; Wang et al., 2018 Wang et al., 2018 ). However, excess iron leads to the accumulation of lipid ROS and is one of the prerequisites for the execution of ferroptosis ( Hassannia et al., 2019 Hassannia et al., 2019 ). Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of cell death caused by multiple disrupted metabolic processes, including iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and glutathione (GSH) depletion ( Stockwell et al., 2017 Stockwell et al., 2017 ; Jiang et al., 2021 Jiang et al., 2021 ). Ferroptosis execution is triggered by iron-catalyzed peroxidation of phospholipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and the subsequent deterioration of cell membranes ( Dixon et al., 2012 Dixon et al., 2012 ). Iron induces ferroptosis in various ways. On the one hand, by initiating the Fenton reaction, the ferrous iron (Fe 2+ ) is oxidized to ferric iron (Fe 3+ ) through reaction with H 2 O 2 , resulting in the production of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals to initiate the peroxidation of phospholipids and generation of free radicals of lipids ( Conrad and Pratt, 2019 Conrad and Pratt, 2019 ; Hassannia et al., 2019 Hassannia et al., 2019 ). On the other hand, Fe 2+ promotes the decomposition of phospholipid hydroperoxide to alkoxyl phospholipid radical, which by attacking another PUFA promotes further propagation of lipid peroxidation ( Jiang et al., 2021 Jiang et al., 2021 ). In addition, Fe 3+ is necessary for maintaining the activation of lipoxygenases (LOXs), which catalyze the oxygenation of PUFAs and promote ferroptosis ( Dufrusine et al., 2019 Dufrusine et al., 2019 ). Therefore, targeting the induction of iron-dependent ferroptosis may be a promising new way to treat therapy-resistant cancers. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are defined as transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides ( Schmitt and Chang, 2016 Schmitt and Chang, 2016 ). They play an emerging regulatory role in multiple processes, including modulating gene activation and silencing ( Rinn and Chang, 2012 Rinn and Chang, 2012 ), messenger RNA (mRNA)-alternative splicing ( Guo et al., 2020 Guo et al., 2020 ) and stability ( Xu et al., 2019 Xu et al., 2019 ), translation ( Carrieri et al., 2012 Carrieri et al., 2012 ), post-translational protein modification ( Shi et al., 2020 Shi et al., 2020 ), and signal transduction ( Sun et al., 2016 Sun et al., 2016 ; Lin and Yang, 2018 Lin and Yang, 2018 ; Liu J et al., 2020 Liu J et al., 2020 ; Tan et al., 2021 Tan et al., 2021 ). LncRNAs are important drivers of many cancer phenotypes, including cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metabolic microenvironment remolding ( Schmitt and Chang, 2016 Schmitt and Chang, 2016 ; Lin and Yang, 2018 Lin and Yang, 2018 ; Sun et al., 2018 Sun et al., 2018 ; Liu et al., 2021 Liu et al., 2021 ). Recent studies have reported that lncRNAs function as signaling mediators ( Yuan et al., 2021 Yuan et al., 2021 ), microRNA (miRNA) sponges ( Wang et al., 2019 Wang et al., 2019 ), and epigenetic modulators ( Wang ZL et al., 2021 Wang ZL et al., 2021 ) to regulate iron metabolism and cancer ferroptosis. In this review, we first reveal the emerging evidence for abnormal iron metabolism in cancer progression. Further, based on the finding that cancer cells have a higher cellular iron content, we discuss the potential of iron-triggered ferroptosis as an antitumor treatment. We also summarize the functional role of lncRNAs in ferroptosis. This review contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between iron, ferroptosis and lncRNA in cancer progression and paves the way for targeting ferroptosis and lncRNA as a promising new approach to cancer treatment. 2 Aberrant iron metabolism and disrupted iron homeostasis in cancer progression 1 2.1 Iron metabolism and cellular regulation 2 In the human body, about 10% of iron (about 1–2 mg/d) is absorbed from the diet by enterocytes to compensate for the loss of iron, while the remaining 90% (about 20–25 mg/d) is derived from macrophage-red blood cell (RBC) recycling ( Drakesmith et al., 2015 Drakesmith et al., 2015 ; Korolnek and Hamza, 2015 Korolnek and Hamza, 2015 ). Inorganic dietary-formed Fe 3+ is first reduced to Fe 2+ by duodenal cytochrome b (DcytB) on the surface of the duodenal enterocytes, and is then absorbed into cells via the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) ( Fig. 1 Fig. 1 a). Subsequently, Fe 2+ is oxidized by hephaestin and then exported into the bloodstream by ferroportin (FPN), the only iron efflux pump in vertebrates ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ; Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). In the bloodstream, one transferrin (TF) can combine with two circulating Fe 3+ , and this complex subsequently binds to transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) located on the cell surface to deliver iron into cells for subsequent utilization ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). Next, the TF-[Fe 3+ ] 2 -TfR1 complex is incorporated and endocytosed into an endosome. In the acidic microenvironment of the endosome, Fe 3+ is dissociated from TF-TfR1 and reduced to Fe 2+ by reductase six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 3 (STEAP3), and finally moves into the cytosolic labile iron pool (LIP) through DMT1, while the TF-TfR1 complex recycles to the cell surface ( Ohgami et al., 2005 Ohgami et al., 2005 ; Rouault, 2013 Rouault, 2013 ). Multiple divalent metal transporters, including ZRT/IRT-like protein 14 (ZIP14) or ZIP8, also mediate the import of non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) into the cytosol LIP ( Zhang and Zhang, 2015 Zhang and Zhang, 2015 ). Moreover, lipocalin 2 (LCN2) (also named neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)) is involved in iron uptake. In the bloodstream, LCN2 has a high affinity with siderophores/catechol, a small Fe 3+ chelator, and binds to its receptors low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2) and solute carrier family 22 member 17 (SLC22A17) on the cell membrane to elevate cellular iron levels ( Xiao et al., 2017 Xiao et al., 2017 ). Iron can also be transported into the mitochondria by mitoferrin 1/2 (MFRN1/2) with ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 10 (ABCB10) to synthesize heme and Fe-S clusters ( Fig. 1 Fig. 1 b) ( Shaw et al., 2006 Shaw et al., 2006 ; Chen et al., 2009 Chen et al., 2009 ). With the help of ferrochelatase (FECH), iron is inserted into protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) to produce heme ( Wu et al., 2001 Wu et al., 2001 ; Keel et al., 2008 Keel et al., 2008 ), which can be further used to synthesize hemoglobin, myoglobin, and cytochrome c to participate in O 2 transport and storage, and cell respiration ( Gozzelino et al., 2010 Gozzelino et al., 2010 ). Simultaneously, iron is also used for the de novo synthesis of the Fe-S cluster, which is initiated by the core iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) component cysteine desulfurase nitrogen fixation 1 (NFS1), leucine-tyrosine-arginine motif (LYRM) protein (ISD11), and acyl carrier protein (ACP), and actively regulated by frataxin (FXN) and glutaredoxin-related protein 5 (GLRX5) ( Patra and Barondeau, 2019 Patra and Barondeau, 2019 ). The Fe-S cluster is a cofactor of various proteins and enzymes involved in the synthesis and repair of DNA ( Gari et al., 2012 Gari et al., 2012 ; Stehling et al., 2012 Stehling et al., 2012 ),cell respiration ( Saxena et al., 2016 Saxena et al., 2016 ), and generation of ROS ( Chu et al., 2019 Chu et al., 2019 ). The dysregulated synthesis of heme, Fe-S clusters, or relevant enzymes causes various diseases. A genetic defect of the 5-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) enzyme blocks the synthesis of the heme precursor PPIX and causes porphyrias and X-linked sideroblastic anemia ( To-Figueras et al., 2011 To-Figueras et al., 2011 ; Sankaran et al., 2015 Sankaran et al., 2015 ). Deficiency of FXN causes the neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich’s ataxia ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). Apart from the iron in the LIP, excess intracellular iron is stored by ferritin, which contains 24 subunits composed of a ferritin heavy chain (FTH) and a ferritin light chain (FTL) and has a high affinity to store nearly 4500 iron atoms in its center ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). Iron efflux is mediated by the FPN, which is regulated by the hormone peptide hepcidin ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ). Hepcidin binds to FPN to cause its internalization and subsequent degradation by lysosomes in iron-deficient cells, which prevents iron efflux to the extracellular matrix ( Billesbølle et al., 2020 Billesbølle et al., 2020 ). Iron homeostasis is maintained in two main ways: by the FPN/hepcidin system and the iron regulatory protein (IRP)/iron response element (IRE) system. The FPN/hepcidin axis is responsible for systemic iron homeostasis ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ), while intracellular iron homeostasis is predominantly controlled by IRPs (IRP1 and IRP2) ( Fig. 1 Fig. 1 c). IRPs interact with the IREs of mRNA, encoding iron metabolism-related proteins in the post-transcriptional process ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ; Muckenthaler et al., 2017 Muckenthaler et al., 2017 ). The regulatory effects of IRE-IRP depend on which types of IRE (5' untranslated region (UTR) or 3' UTR of the targeting mRNA) the IRP binds ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ; Bogdan et al., 2016 Bogdan et al., 2016 ; Muckenthaler et al., 2017 Muckenthaler et al., 2017 ). When cellular iron is deficient, IRP1/2 binds 5' UTR IREs, such as ferritin and FPN, to repress their translation. Meanwhile, IRP interacts with the 3' UTRs of TfR1 and DMT1 to improve mRNA stability ( Hentze et al., 2010 Hentze et al., 2010 ; Bogdan et al., 2016 Bogdan et al., 2016 ; Muckenthaler et al., 2017 Muckenthaler et al., 2017 ). Otherwise, under an iron-replete condition, the F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 5 (FBXL5), an iron sensor, can directly bind iron to recruit the E3 ligase complex to promote IRP1/2 ubiquitination and proteasome degradation ( Salahudeen et al., 2009 Salahudeen et al., 2009 ). IRP1 is ligated with the Fe-S cluster by family with sequence similarity 96 member A (FAM96A) and loses its enzymatic activity ( Stehling et al., 2013 Stehling et al., 2013 ). In addition, Fe 2+ can bind directly to the IRE stem-loop and alter its conformation to decrease its affinity for IRPs ( Khan et al., 2009 Khan et al., 2009 ; Ma et al., 2012 Ma et al., 2012 ). 2.2 Disrupted iron homeostasis in cancers 2 Dysregulated iron metabolism is related to human diseases, including cancers. Over recent decades, significant efforts have been made to clarify the relationship between iron metabolism and cancer development. Also, many critical signal pathways and molecules have been discovered and their roles in modulating iron metabolism elucidated ( Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). Previous epidemiological evidence had reported a relationship between high dietary iron and increased colorectal cancer risk ( Osborne et al., 2010 Osborne et al., 2010 ). Consistent with this finding, high-iron diets promote tumor progression in mouse models with higher expression of TfR1 and DMT1 than controls ( Radulescu et al., 2012 Radulescu et al., 2012 ). Low iron levels inactivate prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs), enabling hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIFα) to stabilize ( Linehan and Rouault, 2013 Linehan and Rouault, 2013 ). In another mouse model, upregulated expression of DMT1 mediated by the HIF-2α signaling pathway also promotes the development of colorectal cancer ( Xue et al., 2016 Xue et al., 2016 ). 2.2.1　Enhanced iron uptake in cancers 3 Iron plays critical roles in cell metabolism and growth. Cancer cells acquire more iron and promote cell proliferation and cancer progression by regulating various iron metabolism-related genes and signaling pathways ( Pinnix et al., 2010 Pinnix et al., 2010 ; Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ; Schonberg et al., 2015 Schonberg et al., 2015 ; Xue et al., 2016 Xue et al., 2016 , 2017 2017 ; Gomez-Chou et al., 2017 Gomez-Chou et al., 2017 ). Studies have revealed that TfR1 is highly expressed in many cancers, including breast, lung, and colorectal cancers ( Daniels et al., 2012 Daniels et al., 2012 ; Torti and Torti, 2013 Torti and Torti, 2013 ). In glioblastoma, increased expression of TF, TfR1, and ferritin promotes iron uptake and activates the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) pathway to promote the cell cycle progression and stemness of cancer cells ( Schonberg et al., 2015 Schonberg et al., 2015 ). Moreover, upregulated redistribution of TfR1 on the surface of cancer cells mediated by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) enhances iron uptake. This promotes tumor progression in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells ( Wang et al., 2016 Wang et al., 2016 ). Advanced cancer therapies can be developed by targeting TfR1 expression. Therapies targeting the interaction between TF and TfR1, including TfR1 antibodies, effectively inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells ( Jones et al., 2006 Jones et al., 2006 ; Callens et al., 2008 Callens et al., 2008 ) and improve the tumor microenvironment ( Tarín et al., 2016 Tarín et al., 2016 ). TfR1 conjugated with a drug molecule has also been used in a tumor-selective delivery system for cancer treatment ( Daniels et al., 2012 Daniels et al., 2012 ; Johnsen et al., 2019 Johnsen et al., 2019 ). The expression of TfR1 is also modulated by cellular-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene (c-Myc), a transcription factor regulated by circadian clock molecules. Its circadian rhythm suggests that by optimizing the time to deliver TF-conjugated liposomes encapsulating a drug, it could be a promising target for cancer therapy ( Okazaki et al., 2010 Okazaki et al., 2010 ). The upregulated expression of LCN2 is also related to various signaling pathways in cancers ( Shi et al., 2008 Shi et al., 2008 ; Leng et al., 2009 Leng et al., 2009 ; Wang JF et al., 2021 Wang JF et al., 2021 ). In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) epigenetically upregulates the expression of LCN2. LCN2 further activates the protein kinase B (Akt)/retinoblastoma protein (Rb) signal pathway induced by the NGAL receptor (NGALR) (receptor of LCN2) and promotes cancer growth and drug resistance ( Wang JF et al., 2021 Wang JF et al., 2021 ). In breast cancer, overexpression of LCN2 causes increased phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) activation, which promotes the migration and invasion abilities of 4T1 cells in vitro, and inhibition of Akt signaling, thus promoting lung metastasis in vivo ( Shi et al., 2008 Shi et al., 2008 ). Deficiency of LCN2 also significantly inhibits mammary tumor formation in a mouse model ( Leng et al., 2009 Leng et al., 2009 ; Berger et al., 2010 Berger et al., 2010 ). Besides the Akt signal pathway, LCN2 is also upregulated by the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6)‍-associated pathway to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) ( Cheng et al., 2014 Cheng et al., 2014 ) and leptomeningeal metastases ( Chi et al., 2020 Chi et al., 2020 ). Some metalloreductases of the STEAP family, such as STEAP3, a ferrireductase reducing endosomal Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ , are also abnormal in cancers ( Challita-Eid et al., 2007 Challita-Eid et al., 2007 ; Kobayashi et al., 2007 Kobayashi et al., 2007 ; Xue et al., 2017 Xue et al., 2017 ; Wu et al., 2018 Wu et al., 2018 ). Monoclonal antibodies targeting the STEAP protein activate helper T lymphocytes (HTLs), thereby enhancing antitumor immunity and inhibiting cancer growth ( Challita-Eid et al., 2007 Challita-Eid et al., 2007 ; Kobayashi et al., 2007 Kobayashi et al., 2007 ). Abnormal overexpression of DMT1 has also been implicated in cancer ( Brookes et al., 2006 Brookes et al., 2006 ; Xue et al., 2012 Xue et al., 2012 , 2016 2016 ). The activated Wnt signaling pathway promotes the transcription of DMT1 and TfR1 through the Wnt downstream target c-Myc in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)-deficient mouse model of intestinal cancer ( Radulescu et al., 2012 Radulescu et al., 2012 ). Inhibition and disruption of DMT1 expression attenuate cancer growth ( Xue et al., 2012 Xue et al., 2012 , 2016 2016 ). 2.2.2　Regulation of iron storage and efflux in cancers 3 Ferritin protects cells from ROS oxidative damage by decreasing the LIP iron concentration and is dysregulated in many cancers. By activating Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)/β-catenin signaling, HIF-1α promotes FTL expression, leading to EMT and chemoresistance of glioma in vitro and in vivo ( Liu JH et al., 2020 Liu JH et al., 2020 ). In addition, ferritin secreted by macrophages is enriched in the breast cancer microenvironment and serum, which causes an inflammatory status and stimulates tumorigenesis ( Alkhateeb et al., 2013 Alkhateeb et al., 2013 ). An elevated FTL level in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line also enhances the chemotherapeutic resistance of doxorubicin and cisplatin, which indicates its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for breast cancer ( Chekhun et al., 2013 Chekhun et al., 2013 ). Therefore, drug approaches such as cationic liposomes containing knockdown FTH-targeting ferritin could be significant for cancer therapy. Cancer cells also increase the cellular iron concentration by decreasing FPN expression. In multiple cancer cells, hepcidin upregulated by the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal pathway and inflammatory stimuli promotes the degradation of FPN and blocks the iron efflux ( Vela and Vela-Gaxha, 2018 Vela and Vela-Gaxha, 2018 ). The Wnt signaling pathway also upregulates hepcidin to cause the degradation of FPN, which promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation. Compared to primary prostate cancer, metastatic tissue has more iron and presents an inferior prognosis ( Tesfay et al., 2015 Tesfay et al., 2015 ). In multiple myeloma, FPN reduction significantly increases the LIP and the growth of myeloma cells by activating STAT3/myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) signaling, which also induces osteoclast differentiation ( Gu et al., 2015 Gu et al., 2015 ). Moreover, crosstalk among multiple signaling pathways is also involved in this process. For example, in prostate cancer, by inhibiting the BMP antagonist sclerostin domain-containing 1 protein (SOSTDC1), the Wnt signal pathway can activate BMP4/7 and increase the level of hepcidin. The IL-6-mediated pathway can also promote the autocrine loop of hepcidin through STAT3 ( Tesfay et al., 2015 Tesfay et al., 2015 ). The expression level of FPN is closely associated with the survival of cancer patients. Breast cancer patients with both a pro-export phenotype (high FPN and low hepcidin expression) and an anti-import phenotype (low TfR1 and high hemochromatosis protein (HFE) expression) have a favorable prognosis, while both anti-export and pro-import phenotypes significantly increase the probability of cancer metastasis ( Pinnix et al., 2010 Pinnix et al., 2010 ; Miller et al., 2011 Miller et al., 2011 ). Multiple strategies targeting hepcidin, such as hepcidin antibodies and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), can block the iron overload and improve disease symptoms ( Poli et al., 2014 Poli et al., 2014 ; Crielaard et al., 2017 Crielaard et al., 2017 ). In addition, a marked reduction of FPN induces a more aggressive and invasive breast cancer phenotype, which indicates that FPN may be a good marker for breast cancer prognosis prediction ( Pinnix et al., 2010 Pinnix et al., 2010 ). All this evidence suggests that the FPN/hepcidin axis is vital for cancer progression and provides a potential therapeutic target. 2.2.3　Iron regulatory proteins and iron response elements in cancers 3 The IRP/IRE system is a master regulator in maintaining intercellular iron homeostasis that blocks the increase of iron concentration when a cell is in a high-iron condition but increases cellular iron uptake when a cell is in a low-iron condition ( Muckenthaler et al., 2008 Muckenthaler et al., 2008 ). Iron homeostasis dysregulation raises the occurrence of diseases, including neurodegeneration ( Meyron-Holtz et al., 2004 Meyron-Holtz et al., 2004 ), type 2 diabetes (T2D) (dos Santos et al., 2020), and cancers ( Wang et al., 2014 Wang et al., 2014 ). The iron metabolism and multiple signaling pathways influence each other to regulate iron homeostasis. Transcription factor c-Myc, a vital target of the Wnt signal pathway, can repress the expression of the subunit of ferritin and stimulate IRP2 expression at the transcriptional level ( Wu et al., 1999 Wu et al., 1999 ). In colorectal cancer, upregulation of IRP2 is closely correlated with TfR1 expression. Furthermore, further bioinformatic analyses found that the increase of IRP2 is correlated with B-type Raf kinase (BRAF) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) activation ( Horniblow et al., 2017 Horniblow et al., 2017 ). In renal cell cancer, inactivation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme fumarate hydratase (FH) attenuates the activities of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and p53. This decreases the expression of DMT1, further promoting the expression of IRP1/2 ( Tong et al., 2011 Tong et al., 2011 ). In the FBXL5-defective mouse model, the overload of iron caused by FBXL5 deficiency leads to oxidative damage of DNA and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ( Muto et al., 2019 Muto et al., 2019 ). Compared to normal cells, cancer cells increase their iron concentration to support rapid proliferation. Gaining insights into cellular iron homeostasis regulation and how the interaction between iron metabolism and signaling pathways affects tumor development may provide a theoretical basis for cancer treatment. Iron chelators, such as deferoxamine (DFO), could be used to reduce the cellular iron level. However, because they are non-specific, the use of iron chelators carries serious side effects for cancer treatment ( Wu et al., 2020 Wu et al., 2020 ). Methods that use antibodies of iron metabolic proteins, such as TF ( Jones et al., 2006 Jones et al., 2006 ; Callens et al., 2008 Callens et al., 2008 ) or TfR1 ( Daniels et al., 2012 Daniels et al., 2012 ; Johnsen et al., 2019 Johnsen et al., 2019 ), have been shown to be effective in antagonizing the growth of cancers. Moreover, a higher iron concentration makes cancer cells more vulnerable to ferroptosis, an iron-catalyzed programmed cell death, which is a promising approach to cancer treatment. 3 Ferroptosis in cancer progression 1 3.1 Execution of ferroptosis 2 Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of cell death triggered by iron-catalyzed peroxidation of PUFAs, and was first discovered by Stockwell and his colleagues ( Dixon et al., 2012 Dixon et al., 2012 ). They found that in rat sarcoma oncogene (RAS)‍-mutated cells, erastin-induced cell death is different from apoptosis, but has a typical necrotic morphology, including destroyed small mitochondria with decreased crista, a condensed membrane, and a ruptured outer membrane. During this process, cells are characterized by an elevated intracellular iron concentration and lipid ROS. Evidence has shown that ferroptosis is regulated by various processes ( Fig. 1 Fig. 1 d), including the metabolic balance of iron, lipids, and amino acids, redox homeostasis, and normal functioning of mitochondria ( Stockwell et al., 2020 Stockwell et al., 2020 ; Jiang et al., 2021 Jiang et al., 2021 ). Sufficient iron is necessary to initiate the Fenton reaction to produce ROS and then promote the peroxidation of PUFA in the cell membranes ( Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 ). The main enzymes controlling the synthesis and peroxidation of PUFA include acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) ( Doll et al., 2017 Doll et al., 2017 ), lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3) ( Dixon et al., 2015 Dixon et al., 2015 ), and the LOX family ( Kagan et al., 2017 Kagan et al., 2017 ). Aberrant expression of these enzymes disturbs ferroptosis. ACSL4 can convert the free acids into fatty acyl-CoAs ( Doll et al., 2017 Doll et al., 2017 ), which can be inserted into phospholipids by LPCAT3 ( Wang and Tontonoz, 2019 Wang and Tontonoz, 2019 ). Activated ACSL4 and LPCAT3 increase the risk of ferroptosis. LOXs are non-heme iron-containing enzymes. These enzymes, especially LOX12/15, catalyze the deoxygenation of PUFAs to produce peroxided PUFAs that promote ferroptosis ( Li et al., 2018 Li et al., 2018 ; Chu et al., 2019 Chu et al., 2019 ). Moreover, abnormalities of mitochondria-related processes, including the mitochondrial TCA cycle, electron transport chain (ETC) ( Gao et al., 2019 Gao et al., 2019 ; Wei et al., 2020 Wei et al., 2020 ), and Fe-S cluster synthesis ( Alvarez et al., 2017 Alvarez et al., 2017 ; Du et al., 2020 Du et al., 2020 ), are also relevant to ferroptosis. Glutaminolysis, producing glutamate (the intermediate for the TCA cycle), is necessary for cysteine deprivation-induced ferroptosis, which is not relevant to glutathione peroxidase (GPX) ( Gao et al., 2015 Gao et al., 2015 ). Further study suggested that under cysteine deprivation, the anaplerotic role of glutaminolysis in the TCA cycle causes hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and lipid ROS accumulation, and promotes ferroptosis ( Gao et al., 2019 Gao et al., 2019 ). Generally, system Xc - and GPX4 pathways are two main master regulators protecting cells from ferroptosis by removing cellular lipid hydroperoxides ( Yang et al., 2014 Yang et al., 2014 ; Wang LY et al., 2020 Wang LY et al., 2020 ; Jiang et al., 2021 Jiang et al., 2021 ). System Xc - , also known as cystine/glutamate antiporter, is an important intracellular antioxidant. It is composed of the light chain solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11, also known as xCT) and the heavy chain SLC3A2 ( Parker et al., 2021 Parker et al., 2021 ). These two components work together to import cystine and export glutamate, respectively ( Liu JY et al., 2020 Liu JY et al., 2020 ). Their normal function is important for GSH synthesis ( Xie et al., 2016 Xie et al., 2016 ; Stockwell et al., 2017 Stockwell et al., 2017 ). GPX4, one of the selenium-dependent GPXs, can protect membrane lipids from peroxidation damage when there is sufficient tripeptide antioxidant GSH ( Brigelius-Flohé and Maiorino, 2013 Brigelius-Flohé and Maiorino, 2013 ). Ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) is another mediator, independent of GPX4, which protects cells against ferroptosis. Mechanically, FSP1 catalyzes the regeneration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; its reduced form is ubiquinol) using NAD(P)H, trapping lipid peroxyl radicals to clear excessive cellular lipid peroxidation and attenuate ferroptosis ( Viswanathan et al., 2017 Viswanathan et al., 2017 ). Therefore, deficiency of system Xc - , GPX4, and FSP1 will accelerate ferroptosis ( Yang et al., 2014 Yang et al., 2014 ; Yang and Stockwell, 2016 Yang and Stockwell, 2016 ; Viswanathan et al., 2017 Viswanathan et al., 2017 ). Since iron is overloaded in cancer cells, deeply exploring the exact mechanism of iron-induced ferroptosis and the relationship between ferroptosis and cancer progression should provide promising methods for cancer treatment. 3.2 Roles of iron in cancer cell ferroptosis 2 As iron is a core factor triggering ferroptosis, processes involved in iron metabolism, including iron uptake, storage, usage, and efflux, are vital to modulate ferroptosis. Previous research has reported that iron overload can promote ferroptosis by initiating lipid peroxidation through the Fenton reaction ( Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 Dixon and Stockwell, 2014 ). Moreover, many iron-related proteins are involved in this process ( Gao et al., 2015 Gao et al., 2015 ; Feng et al., 2020 Feng et al., 2020 ). Cell density-dependent ferroptosis is mediated by E-cadherin cooperating with neurofibromin 2 (NF2)/Yes-associated protein (YAP) to promote the expression of TfR1 and ACSL4, ultimately causing ferroptosis ( Wu et al., 2019 Wu et al., 2019 ). In neuroblastoma cells, by targeting the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), the ferroptosis-inducing agent withaferin A (WA) can activate the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway. This promotes the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and elevates cellular iron to induce ferroptosis and improve prognosis ( Hassannia et al., 2018 Hassannia et al., 2018 ). In breast cancer, downregulation of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated protein (ATM, the DNA damage response serine/threonine kinase) results in the transcriptional activation of FPN, FTH, and FTL by the transcription factor metal-regulatory transcription factor 1 (MTF1). This protects cancer cells from cystine-deprived ferroptosis ( Chen et al., 2020 Chen et al., 2020 ). In lung cancer, ubiquitin-specific protease 35 (USP35) directly interacts with FPN to protect FPN from degradation. Moreover, USP35 knockdown significantly increases the iron level and confers cancer cell sensitivity to ferroptosis under the stimulation of erastin ( Tang et al., 2021 Tang et al., 2021 ). Modulating ferritinophagy, the degradation of ferritin in lysosomes, alters cellular iron levels and is closely associated with ferroptosis. Ferritinophagy can lead to the release of iron ( Zhou et al., 2020 Zhou et al., 2020 ) and is mediated by nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4), a selective cargo receptor for the autophagic degradation of ferritin ( Mancias et al., 2014 Mancias et al., 2014 ). Knockdown of autophagy-related gene 5 ( atg5 ) and atg7 (the main components forming autophagosomes) or genetic inhibition of NCOA4 inhibits ferritin degradation and decreases cellular iron and ferroptosis ( Gao et al., 2016 Gao et al., 2016 ; Hou et al., 2016 Hou et al., 2016 ; Chen X et al., 2021 Chen X et al., 2021 ). 3.3 Dysregulated brakes in cancer cell ferroptosis 2 Lipid peroxidation of the cell membrane, the major event in ferroptosis, can be triggered by the inhibition of system Xc - or GPX4 ( Li and Li, 2020 Li and Li, 2020 ). Cancer cells deploy various mechanisms to modulate the expression and/or activity of system Xc - (especially SLC7A11) and GPX4 to regulate ferroptosis. The oncoprotein NRF2 is a vital regulator of the antioxidant response. Many downstream targets of NRF2, including GPX4 and system Xc - , are required to keep the cellular redox balance and protect cells from ferroptosis ( Roh et al., 2017 Roh et al., 2017 ; Dodson et al., 2019 Dodson et al., 2019 ). The tumor suppressor alternative reading frame (ARF) can trigger cell death by attenuating tumor progress ( Hayes and Dinkova-Kostova, 2017 Hayes and Dinkova-Kostova, 2017 ). Recent studies have shown that the ARF interacts with NRF2 to inhibit the transcription of SLC7A11 and promote ferroptosis, and furthermore, the ARF/NRF2 regulatory axis in ferroptosis is independent of the p53 pathway ( Chen et al., 2017 Chen et al., 2017 ; Koppula et al., 2018 Koppula et al., 2018 ). p53 plays a central role in the regulation of cellular metabolism ( Kastenhuber and Lowe, 2017 Kastenhuber and Lowe, 2017 ). Evidence has revealed that p53 also mediates ferroptosis in cancer by modulating its downstream metabolic targets cystine/glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 ( Jiang et al., 2015 Jiang et al., 2015 ) and arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase (ALOX12) ( Chu et al., 2019 Chu et al., 2019 ). Zhang et al. (2018) Zhang et al. (2018) found that tumor suppressor BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) represses the expression of SLC7A11 through epigenetic regulation of HA2 ubiquitination on the SLC7A11 promoter, which leads to elevated ferroptosis and tumor suppression. The oxidative stress generated by mitochondria also causes ferroptosis. Mitochondrial ROS have been reported to activate the AMPK/Unc-51-like kinase (ULK) signal pathway and promote ferritinophagy and other causes of cell ferroptosis ( Qin et al., 2021 Qin et al., 2021 ). Disruption of the synthesis of the Fe-S cluster is correlated with a high accumulation of iron and ROS. Recent evidence has revealed that suppressed expression of FXN modulates erastin-induced ferroptosis and inhibits tumor growth induced by accumulated free iron and lipid peroxidation, which also resulted in damaged mitochondria ( Du et al., 2020 Du et al., 2020 ). NFS1 is also reported to be highly expressed and amplified in metastatic primary lung cancer. Suppression of its expression, along with inhibition of cysteine transport, causes ferroptosis and slows down tumor growth in vivo, indicating that NFS1 could protect cells from ferroptosis and promote lung tumor growth ( Alvarez et al., 2017 Alvarez et al., 2017 ). All this evidence indicates the vital role of mitochondria in ferroptosis. Targeting the vital molecules that trigger ferroptosis, including the iron chelator DFO and lipophilic radical traps such as vitamin E and ferrostatin-1 (Fer1), is a promising therapeutic strategy to kill therapy-resistant cancer cells ( Hassannia et al., 2019 Hassannia et al., 2019 ). GPX4 and FSP1 are two parallel mechanisms preventing membrane lipid peroxidation ( Stockwell et al., 2017 Stockwell et al., 2017 ), and targeted inhibition of GPX4 and FSP1 makes cancer cells more prone to ferroptosis ( Dixon et al., 2012 Dixon et al., 2012 ; Yang et al., 2014 Yang et al., 2014 ; Hangauer et al., 2017 Hangauer et al., 2017 ). Ferroptosis is closely related to the development of cancer, and targeting the triggers of ferroptosis is a promising cancer therapeutic strategy. 4 LncRNAs in ferroptosis and iron metabolism 1 LncRNAs are widely accepted as master regulators in various cellular programs and as indicators of specific cellular states ( Wang and Chang, 2011 Wang and Chang, 2011 ). Aberrant expression of lncRNAs closely matches cytopathology such as cancers ( Schmitt and Chang, 2016 Schmitt and Chang, 2016 ). It has been reported that lncRNAs modulate tumorigenesis ( Xu et al., 2020 Xu et al., 2020 ; Zhao et al., 2020 Zhao et al., 2020 ) and progression in several ways, including cell proliferation ( Hung et al., 2014 Hung et al., 2014 ), cell death ( Mao et al., 2018 Mao et al., 2018 ), invasion ( Liu et al., 2021 Liu et al., 2021 ), and metabolism remodeling ( Liu XR et al., 2018 Liu XR et al., 2018 ; Sang et al., 2018 Sang et al., 2018 ; Liu J et al., 2020 Liu J et al., 2020 ) by interacting with chromosomes ( Wu et al., 2020 Wu et al., 2020 ), mRNAs ( Guo et al., 2020 Guo et al., 2020 ), and proteins ( Sang et al., 2018 Sang et al., 2018 , 2021 2021 ) ( Fig. 2 Fig. 2 ). By acting as an adapter molecule, lncRNA highly upregulated in liver cancer ( HULC ) enhances the interactions between fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and two glycolytic enzymes lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), promoting their enzymatic activity and glycolysis and cancer progression ( Wang CQ et al., 2020 Wang CQ et al., 2020 ). In HCC, Liu et al. (2018) Liu et al. (2018) found that lncRNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 ( NEAT1 ) helps upregulate the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) by acting as an RNA sponge of miR-124-3p downregulating the expression of ATGL, thereby promoting lipid metabolism. Moreover, lncRNAs can also cooperate with multiple signal pathways, such as the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) ( Malakar et al., 2019 Malakar et al., 2019 ), phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3)/Akt ( Lin et al., 2017 Lin et al., 2017 ), HIF-1α ( Lin et al., 2016 Lin et al., 2016 ), Hippo ( Zheng et al., 2017 Zheng et al., 2017 ), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ( Sang et al., 2018 Sang et al., 2018 ), to modulate cancer cell glycolysis and Ca 2+ metabolism, causing microenvironment remodeling and tumor progression. Interestingly, emerging evidence suggests that lncRNA may have the potential to regulate gene expression and signal transduction by modulating liquid-liquid phase separation, thereby further promoting cancer development ( Fox et al., 2018 Fox et al., 2018 ; Yamazaki et al., 2018 Yamazaki et al., 2018 ; Li RH et al., 2021 Li RH et al., 2021 ). This indicates the significance of lncRNAs in modulating cancer metabolism and cancer progression, and suggests that lncRNAs have the potential to provide prognostic value and even new strategies for clinical therapies ( Schmitt and Chang, 2016 Schmitt and Chang, 2016 ; Li YJ et al., 2021 Li YJ et al., 2021 ). Recent studies also reported that lncRNAs function as adapters ( Mao et al., 2018 Mao et al., 2018 ), RNA sponges ( Luo et al., 2021 Luo et al., 2021 ; Zhang YY et al., 2021 Zhang YY et al., 2021 ), and epigenetic modulators ( Wang ZL et al., 2021 Wang ZL et al., 2021 ), regulating cancer cell ferroptosis by modulating several ferroptosis-related processes, including iron metabolism, GSH metabolism, and system Xc - (especially the expression of SLC7A11) ( Fig. 3 Fig. 3 and Table 1 Table 1 ). Notably, during ferroptosis regulation, lncRNAs tightly cooperate with the well-known signaling pathways regulating cell survival, including p53 and NRF2. As a typical tumor suppressor regulator, p53 is necessary to elicit cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and/or senescence in response to cellular stress ( Junttila and Evan, 2009 Junttila and Evan, 2009 ; Berkers et al., 2013 Berkers et al., 2013 ). SLC7A11, the key component of the cystine/glutamate antiporter ( Lo et al., 2008 Lo et al., 2008 ), was identified as a novel target of p53, and its mRNA expression can be repressed by p53 ( Jiang et al., 2015 Jiang et al., 2015 ). In breast and lung cancers, p53-related lncRNA P53RRA , as a tumor suppressor, is significantly downregulated. Mechanistically, P53RRA can displace p53 to form the cytosolic P53RRA- GTPase-activating protein (SH3 domain)-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) complex, leading to more extensive retention of p53 in the nucleus and decreased expression of SLC7A11. This is followed by increases in the cellular iron concentration and lipid ROS, which finally promotes cell-cycle arrest and ferroptosis ( Mao et al., 2018 Mao et al., 2018 ). As a critical regulator of epigenetic regulation of genes, the nuclear-localized lncRNA long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 618 ( LINC00618 ) inhibits the expression of SLC11A7 and accelerates ferroptosis by directly interacting with lymphoid-specific helicase (LSH), a member of the sucrose nonfermenting 2 (SNF2) family of chromatin-remodeling ATPases. It reduces its expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which further increases the levels of lipid ROS and iron ( Wang ZL et al., 2021 Wang ZL et al., 2021 ). Interestingly, LINC00618 -mediated ferroptosis is dependent on apoptosis, which indicates that LINC00618 acts as a chemotherapeutic marker for AML ( Wang ZL et al., 2021 Wang ZL et al., 2021 ). LncRNA: long noncoding RNA; P53RRA : p53-related lncRNA; LINC00618 : long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 618; OIP5 : Opa-interacting protein 5; AS1 : antisense RNA 1; MT1DP : metallothionein 1D pseudogene; GABPB1: GA-binding protein transcription factor subunit β1; G3BP1: GTPase-activating protein (SH3 domain) binding protein 1; SLC7A11: solute carrier family 7 member 11; LSH: lymphoid-specific helicase; CBS: cystathionine-β-synthase; PROM2: prominin 2; NRF2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; mRNA: messenger RNA; miRNA: microRNA; eIF4A: eukaryotic initiation factor-4A; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma. LncRNA Cellular localization Mechanism Biological function Reference P53RRA Cytoplasm Interacts with G3BP1 to decrease the expression of SLC7A11 Interacts with G3BP1, displaces p53 from a G3BP1 complex, and results in p53 retention in the nucleus; decreases the expression of SLC7A11 and subsequently promotes ferroptosis Mao et al., 2018 Mao et al., 2018 LINC00618 Nucleus Interacts with LSH to decrease the expression of SLC7A11 Attenuates the expression of LSH and results in the reduced expression of SLC7A11, and then promotes ferroptosis in leukemogenesis Wang ZL et al., 2021 Wang ZL et al., 2021 OIP5-AS1 Cytoplasm Sponge of miR-128-3p to promote the expression of SLC7A11 Acts as a miRNA sponge for miR-128-3p to promote the expression of SLC7A11, and subsequently inhibits ferroptosis in prostate cancer Zhang YY et al., 2021 Zhang YY et al., 2021 LINC00336 Nucleus Sponge of miR6852 to promote the expression of CBS Serves as an endogenous sponge of miR6852 to promote the expression of CBS and thereby inhibits ferroptosis Wang et al., 2019 Wang et al., 2019 RP11-89 Cytoplasm Sponge of miR-129-5p to promote the expression of PROM2 Promotes the expression of PROM2 by acting as an RNA sponge to silence the expression of miR-129-5p and further cause ferroptosis resistance Luo et al., 2021 Luo et al., 2021 MT1DP Cytoplasm Interacts with miR-365a-3p to downregulate the expression of NRF2 Downregulates the expression of NRF2 by stabilizing the expression of miR-365a-3p, and finally promotes ferroptosis Gai et al., 2020 Gai et al., 2020 GABPB1-AS1 Cytoplasm Interacts with the mRNA of GABPB1 and blocks its translation Inhibits the translation of GABPB1 by blocking its recruitment to polysomes and binding with eIF4A, and finally promotes the ferroptosis of HCC cells Qi et al., 2019 Moreover, lncRNAs and miRNAs can coordinately regulate ferroptosis. In prostate cancer, lncRNA Opa-interacting protein 5-antisense RNA 1 ( OIP5-AS1 ), a miRNA sponge, inhibits ferroptosis by regulating the miR-128-3p/SLC7A11 axis ( Zhang YY et al., 2021 Zhang YY et al., 2021 ). In lung cancer, LINC00336 acts as a miRNA sponge for cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), a marker of the trans-sulphuration pathway and responsible for the biosynthesis of GSH ( Hayano et al., 2016 Hayano et al., 2016 ), and plays a functional role in ferroptosis. High expression of LINC00336 inhibits ferroptosis by reducing intracellular iron and lipid ROS levels and promoting cancer cell proliferation ( Wang et al., 2019 Wang et al., 2019 ). In bladder cancer, lncRNA RP11-89 promotes the expression of prominin 2 (PROM2) by acting as an RNA sponge to silence the expression of miR-129-5p, which enhances the PROM2-mediated formation of ferritin-containing multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and the release of iron, and finally promotes ferroptosis resistance ( Luo et al., 2021 Luo et al., 2021 ). LncRNAs can also regulate ferroptosis by modulating other oxidative stress responders. NRF2 is a transcription activator responsible for the transcription of genes coding for mitochondrial respiratory and antioxidant molecules ( Ma, 2013 Ma, 2013 ). As an activator of NRF2, GA-binding protein transcription factor subunit β1 (GABPB1) is necessary for the transcriptional activation of antioxidant-related genes ( Bell et al., 2015 Bell et al., 2015 ). The NRF2/GABPB1 pathway plays a vital role in responding to oxidative stress ( Ma, 2013 Ma, 2013 ). In NSCLC, lncRNA metallothionein 1D pseudogene ( MT1DP ) downregulates the expression of NRF2 by stabilizing the expression of miR-365a-3p, which can promote the erastin-induced ferroptosis of cancer cells. Nano-particles encapsulated with lncRNA MT1DP can be a therapeutic target for cancer treatment ( Gai et al., 2020 Gai et al., 2020 ). LncRNA GABPB1-AS1 is the antisense RNA of GABPB1 mRNA. In HCC, lncRNA GABPB1-AS1 is upregulated by erastin and inhibits the translation of GABPB1, further promoting the ferroptosis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, lncRNA GABPB1-AS1 directly interacts with the mRNA of GABPB1, blocking its recruitment to polysomes and binding with eukaryotic initiation factor-4A (eIF4A) ( Qi et al., 2019 Qi et al., 2019 ). Diverse meta-analyses have also reported that ferroptosis-related lncRNAs have the potential to predict the prognosis and outcome of breast cancer ( Zhang KM et al., 2021 Zhang KM et al., 2021 ), lung cancer ( Lu et al., 2021 Lu et al., 2021 ; Zheng et al., 2021 Zheng et al., 2021 ), and HCC ( Chen ZA et al., 2021 Chen ZA et al., 2021 ). This provides further insights regarding the role of lncRNAs and suggests clinical targets for cancer treatment. However, the detailed mechanism of action of lncRNAs in cellular iron metabolism and ferroptosis still needs to be clarified. Given the diverse functions of lncRNAs in cellular metabolism and the great potential of targeting ferroptosis in cancer therapy, in-depth exploration of the exact mechanism of ferroptosis, especially the functional roles of lncRNAs in ferroptosis and iron metabolism, will help accelerate the application of lncRNAs in combination with ferroptosis targets in clinical cancer treatment. 5 Perspectives 1 Cellular iron homeostasis is vital for various cellular biological processes. However, iron metabolism reprogramming is found in many cancers and is a hallmark for rapid cell proliferation and cancer malignancy. Cancer cells prefer to stockpile intracellular iron by upregulating diverse genes involved in iron transport, uptake, and storage, and downregulating genes related to iron efflux. Thus, methods that decrease the intracellular iron concentration, including genetically modulating gene-related iron metabolism, administering iron chelators, and using neutralized antibodies, are promising approaches to cancer treatment. However, given the universal biological function of iron in the cell cycle, DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, and the electron transfer chain in both normal cells and cancer cells, how to specifically target cancer cells to reduce their cellular iron and increase the adverse effects brought about by therapeutic methods needs to be further investigated. Moreover, the excessive iron makes cancer cells that show little response to traditional necroptosis more vulnerable to iron-catalyzed ferroptosis, which raises expectations for the potential of ferroptosis as a promising strategy for treating therapy-resistant cancers. Thus, deeply exploring the mechanisms and key factors modulating ferroptosis will shed light on precision cancer therapy. Targeting the disrupted expression of system Xc - , GPX4, and antioxidant-related genes is also a promising method for triggering the ferroptosis of cancer cells with an iron overdose. However, it raises many questions. For example, what is the plasticity of the iron metabolism of cancer cells for triggering ferroptosis? Simultaneously, cancer cells could use excessive iron to promote cells to iron-dependent cell death, namely ferroptosis. Excessive iron contributes to both tumor growth and ferroptosis-induced tumor inhibition. Thus, how to use this “double-edged sword” for cancer treatment is an urgent problem to be solved. LncRNAs play a versatile role in tumorigenesis, cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis via various mechanisms. LncRNAs are posi‑tively involved in regulating ferroptosis-related processes, including modulating the iron concentration, GSH metabolism, and the activity of system Xc - . In particular, lncRNAs cooperate with diverse typical signaling pathways, such as p53 and NRF2, to regulate the expression of ferroptosis-related genes. Thus, the collective actions of lncRNAs, iron metabolism and ferroptosis in cancer development need further study. A deeper understanding of lncRNA modulation in iron metabolism will widen the knowledge of cancer metabolism and provide promising new cancer therapeutic strategies. References Alkhateeb AA , Han B , Connor JR , 2013 . Ferritin stimulates breast cancer cells through an iron-independent mechanism and is localized within tumor-associated macrophages . Breast Cancer Res Treat , 137 ( 3 ): 733 - 744 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-012-2405-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-012-2405-x Ferritin stimulates breast cancer cells through an iron-independent mechanism and is localized within tumor-associated macrophages Alvarez SW , Sviderskiy VO , Terzi EM , et al. , 2017 . NFS1 undergoes positive selection in lung tumours and protects cells from ferroptosis . Nature , 551 ( 7682 ): 639 - 643 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24637 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24637 NFS1 undergoes positive selection in lung tumours and protects cells from ferroptosis Barnes JL , Zubair M , John K , et al. , 2018 . Carcinogens and DNA damage . Biochem Soc Trans , 46 ( 5 ): 1213 - 1224 . https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20180519 https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20180519 Carcinogens and DNA damage Bell RJA , Rube HT , Kreig A , et al. , 2015 . The transcription factor GABP selectively binds and activates the mutant TERT promoter in cancer . Science , 348 ( 6238 ): 1036 - 1039 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab0015 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab0015 The transcription factor GABP selectively binds and activates the mutant TERT promoter in cancer Berger T , Cheung CC , Elia AJ , et al. , 2010 . Disruption of the Lcn2 gene in mice suppresses primary mammary tumor formation but does not decrease lung metastasis . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 107 ( 7 ): 2995 - 3000 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000101107 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000101107 Disruption of the Lcn2 gene in mice suppresses primary mammary tumor formation but does not decrease lung metastasis Berkers CR , Maddocks ODK , Cheung EC , et al. , 2013 . Metabolic regulation by p53 family members . Cell Metab , 18 ( 5 ): 617 - 633 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.06.019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.06.019 Metabolic regulation by p53 family members Billesbølle CB , Azumaya CM , Kretsch RC , et al. , 2020 . Structure of hepcidin-bound ferroportin reveals iron homeo static mechanisms. Nature , 586 ( 7831 ): 807 - 811 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2668-z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2668-z Structure of hepcidin-bound ferroportin reveals iron homeo Bogdan AR , Miyazawa M , Hashimoto K , et al. , 2016 . Regulators of iron homeostasis: new players in metabolism, cell death, and disease . Trends Biochem Sci , 41 ( 3 ): 274 - 286 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2015.11.012 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2015.11.012 Regulators of iron homeostasis: new players in metabolism, cell death, and disease Brigelius-Flohé R , Maiorino M , 2013 . Glutathione peroxidases . Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA)‒Gen Subj , 1830 ( 5 ): 3289 - 3303 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2012.11.020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2012.11.020 Glutathione peroxidases Brookes MJ , Hughes S , Turner FE , et al. , 2006 . Modulation of iron transport proteins in human colorectal carcinogenesis . Gut , 55 ( 10 ): 1449 - 1460 . https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.2006.094060 https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.2006.094060 Modulation of iron transport proteins in human colorectal carcinogenesis Callens C , Moura IC , Lepelletier Y , et al. , 2008 . Recent advances in adult T-cell leukemia therapy: focus on a new anti-transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody . Leukemia , 22 ( 1 ): 42 - 48 . https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404958 https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404958 Recent advances in adult T-cell leukemia therapy: focus on a new anti-transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody Carrieri C , Cimatti L , Biagioli M , et al. , 2012 . Long non-coding antisense RNA controls Uchl1 translation through an embedded SINEB2 repeat . Nature , 491 ( 7424 ): 454 - 457 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11508 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11508 Long non-coding antisense RNA controls Uchl1 translation through an embedded SINEB2 repeat Challita-Eid PM , Morrison K , Etessami S , et al. , 2007 . Monoclonal antibodies to six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate-1 inhibit intercellular communication in vitro and growth of human tumor xenografts in vivo . Cancer Res , 67 ( 12 ): 5798 - 5805 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-3849 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-3849 Monoclonal antibodies to six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate-1 inhibit intercellular communication in vitro and growth of human tumor xenografts in vivo Chekhun VF , Lukyanova NY , Burlaka AP , et al. , 2013 . Iron metabolism disturbances in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with acquired resistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin . Int J Oncol , 43 ( 5 ): 1481 - 1486 . https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2013.2063 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2013.2063 Iron metabolism disturbances in the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with acquired resistance to doxorubicin and cisplatin Chen DL , Tavana O , Chu B , et al. , 2017 . NRF2 is a major target of ARF in p53-independent tumor suppression . Mol Cell , 68 ( 1 ): 224 - 232.e4 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2017.09.009 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2017.09.009 NRF2 is a major target of ARF in p53-independent tumor suppression Chen PH , Wu JL , Ding CKC , et al. , 2020 . Kinome screen of ferroptosis reveals a novel role of ATM in regulating iron metabolism . Cell Death Differ , 27 ( 3 ): 1008 - 1022 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0393-7 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0393-7 Kinome screen of ferroptosis reveals a novel role of ATM in regulating iron metabolism Chen W , Paradkar PN , Li LT , et al. , 2009 . Abcb10 physically interacts with mitoferrin-1 (Slc25a37) to enhance its stability and function in the erythroid mitochondria . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 106 ( 38 ): 16263 - 16268 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904519106 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904519106 Abcb10 physically interacts with mitoferrin-1 (Slc25a37) to enhance its stability and function in the erythroid mitochondria Chen X , Yu CH , Kang R , et al. , 2021 . Cellular degradation systems in ferroptosis . Cell Death Differ , 28 ( 4 ): 1135 - 1148 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-00728-1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-020-00728-1 Cellular degradation systems in ferroptosis Chen ZA , Tian H , Yao DM , et al. , 2021 . Identification of a ferroptosis-related signature model including mRNAs and lncRNAs for predicting prognosis and immune activity in hepatocellular carcinoma . Front Oncol , 11 : 738477 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.738477 https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.738477 Identification of a ferroptosis-related signature model including mRNAs and lncRNAs for predicting prognosis and immune activity in hepatocellular carcinoma Cheng GC , Sun XQ , Wang JL , et al. , 2014 . HIC1 silencing in triple-negative breast cancer drives progression through misregulation of LCN2 . Cancer Res , 74 ( 3 ): 862 - 872 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-2420 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-2420 HIC1 silencing in triple-negative breast cancer drives progression through misregulation of LCN2 Chi YD , Remsik J , Kiseliovas V , et al. , 2020 . Cancer cells deploy lipocalin-2 to collect limiting iron in leptomeningeal metastasis . Science , 369 ( 6501 ): 276 - 282 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz2193 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz2193 Cancer cells deploy lipocalin-2 to collect limiting iron in leptomeningeal metastasis Chu B , Kon N , Chen DL , et al. , 2019 . ALOX12 is required for p53-mediated tumour suppression through a distinct ferroptosis pathway . Nat Cell Biol , 21 ( 5 ): 579 - 591 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-019-0305-6 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-019-0305-6 ALOX12 is required for p53-mediated tumour suppression through a distinct ferroptosis pathway Cinelli MA , Do HT , Miley GP , et al. , 2020 . Inducible nitric oxide synthase: regulation, structure, and inhibition . Med Res Rev , 40 ( 1 ): 158 - 189 . https://doi.org/10.1002/med.21599 https://doi.org/10.1002/med.21599 Inducible nitric oxide synthase: regulation, structure, and inhibition Conrad M , Pratt DA , 2019 . The chemical basis of ferroptosis . Nat Chem Biol , 15 ( 12 ): 1137 - 1147 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0408-1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0408-1 The chemical basis of ferroptosis Crielaard BJ , Lammers T , Rivella S , 2017 . Targeting iron metabolism in drug discovery and delivery . Nat Rev Drug Discov , 16 ( 6 ): 400 - 423 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2016.248 https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2016.248 Targeting iron metabolism in drug discovery and delivery Daniels TR , Bernabeu E , Rodríguez JA , et al. , 2012 . The transferrin receptor and the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents against cancer . Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA)‒Gen Subj , 1820 ( 3 ): 291 - 317 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.07.016 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.07.016 The transferrin receptor and the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents against cancer Dixon SJ , Stockwell BR , 2014 . The role of iron and reactive oxygen species in cell death . Nat Chem Biol , 10 ( 1 ): 9 - 17 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1416 https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.1416 The role of iron and reactive oxygen species in cell death Dixon SJ , Lemberg KM , Lamprecht MR , et al. , 2012 . Ferroptosis: an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death . Cell , 149 ( 5 ): 1060 - 1072 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2012.03.042 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2012.03.042 Ferroptosis: an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death Dixon SJ , Winter GE , Musavi LS , et al. , 2015 . Human haploid cell genetics reveals roles for lipid metabolism genes in nonapoptotic cell death . ACS Chem Biol , 10 ( 7 ): 1604 - 1609 . https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.5b00245 https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.5b00245 Human haploid cell genetics reveals roles for lipid metabolism genes in nonapoptotic cell death Dodson M , Castro-Portuguez R , Zhang DD , 2019 . NRF2 plays a critical role in mitigating lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis . Redox Biol , 23 : 101107 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2019.101107 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2019.101107 NRF2 plays a critical role in mitigating lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis Doll S , Proneth B , Tyurina YY , et al. , 2017 . ACSL4 dictates ferroptosis sensitivity by shaping cellular lipid compos ition. Nat Chem Biol , 13 ( 1 ): 91 - 98 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2239 https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2239 ACSL4 dictates ferroptosis sensitivity by shaping cellular lipid compos dos Santos MCF , Anderson CP , Neschen S , et al. , 2020 . Irp2 regulates insulin production through iron-mediated Cdkal1-catalyzed tRNA modification . Nat Commun , 11 : 296 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-14004-5 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-14004-5 Irp2 regulates insulin production through iron-mediated Cdkal1-catalyzed tRNA modification Drakesmith H , Nemeth E , Ganz T , 2015 . Ironing out ferroportin . Cell Metab , 22 ( 5 ): 777 - 787 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.006 Ironing out ferroportin Du J , Zhou Y , Li YC , et al. , 2020 . Identification of Frataxin as a regulator of ferroptosis . Redox Biol , 32 : 101483 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101483 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2020.101483 Identification of Frataxin as a regulator of ferroptosis Dufrusine B , di Francesco A , Oddi S , et al. , 2019 . Iron-dependent trafficking of 5-lipoxygenase and impact on human macrophage activation . Front Immunol , 10 : 1347 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01347 https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01347 Iron-dependent trafficking of 5-lipoxygenase and impact on human macrophage activation Feng HZ , Schorpp K , Jin J , et al. , 2020 . Transferrin receptor is a specific ferroptosis marker . Cell Rep , 30 ( 10 ):‍ 3411 - 3423.e7 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.049 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.049 Transferrin receptor is a specific ferroptosis marker Fox AH , Nakagawa S , Hirose T , et al. , 2018 . Paraspeckles: where long noncoding RNA meets phase separation . Trends Biochem Sci , 43 ( 2 ): 124 - 135 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2017.12.001 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2017.12.001 Paraspeckles: where long noncoding RNA meets phase separation Gai CC , Liu CL , Wu XH , et al. , 2020 . MT1DP loaded by folate-modified liposomes sensitizes erastin-induced ferroptosis via regulating miR-365a-3p/NRF2 axis in non-small cell lung cancer cells . Cell Death Discov , 11 ( 9 ): 751 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-020-02939-3 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-020-02939-3 MT1DP loaded by folate-modified liposomes sensitizes erastin-induced ferroptosis via regulating miR-365a-3p/NRF2 axis in non-small cell lung cancer cells Gao MH , Monian P , Quadri N , et al. , 2015 . Glutaminolysis and transferrin regulate ferroptosis . Mol Cell , 59 ( 2 ): 298 - 308 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2015.06.011 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2015.06.011 Glutaminolysis and transferrin regulate ferroptosis Gao MH , Monian P , Pan QH , et al. , 2016 . Ferroptosis is an autophagic cell death process . Cell Res , 26 ( 9 ): 1021 - 1032 . https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.2016.95 https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.2016.95 Ferroptosis is an autophagic cell death process Gao MH , Yi JM , Zhu JJ , et al. , 2019 . Role of mitochondria in ferroptosis . Mol Cell , 73 ( 2 ): 354 - 363.e3 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.10.042 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.10.042 Role of mitochondria in ferroptosis Gari K , León Ortiz AM , Borel V , et al. , 2012 . MMS19 links cytoplasmic iron-sulfur cluster assembly to DNA metabolism . Science , 337 ( 6091 ): 243 - 245 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219664 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219664 MMS19 links cytoplasmic iron-sulfur cluster assembly to DNA metabolism Goldberg AV , Molik S , Tsaousis AD , et al. , 2008 . Localization and functionality of microsporidian iron-sulphur cluster assembly proteins . Nature , 452 ( 7187 ): 624 - 628 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06606 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06606 Localization and functionality of microsporidian iron-sulphur cluster assembly proteins Gomez-Chou SB , Swidnicka-Siergiejko AK , Badi N , et al. , 2017 . Lipocalin-2 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by regulating inflammation in the tumor microenvironment . Cancer Res , 77 ( 10 ): 2647 - 2660 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-1986 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-1986 Lipocalin-2 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by regulating inflammation in the tumor microenvironment Gozzelino R , Jeney V , Soares MP , 2010 . Mechanisms of cell protection by heme oxygenase-1 . Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol , 50 : 323 - 354 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.010909.105600 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.010909.105600 Mechanisms of cell protection by heme oxygenase-1 Gu ZM , Wang H , Xia JL , et al. , 2015 . Decreased ferroportin promotes myeloma cell growth and osteoclast differentiation . Cancer Res , 75 ( 11 ): 2211 - 2221 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-3804 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-3804 Decreased ferroportin promotes myeloma cell growth and osteoclast differentiation Guo CJ , Ma XK , Xing YH , et al. , 2020 . Distinct processing of lncRNAs contributes to non-conserved functions in stem cells . Cell , 181 ( 3 ): 621 - 636.e22 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.006 Distinct processing of lncRNAs contributes to non-conserved functions in stem cells Hangauer MJ , Viswanathan VS , Ryan MJ , et al. , 2017 . Drug-tolerant persister cancer cells are vulnerable to GPX4 inhibition . Nature , 551 ( 7679 ): 247 - 250 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24297 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature24297 Drug-tolerant persister cancer cells are vulnerable to GPX4 inhibition Hassannia B , Wiernicki B , Ingold I , et al. , 2018 . Nano-targeted induction of dual ferroptotic mechanisms eradicates high-risk neuroblastoma . J Clin Invest , 128 ( 8 ): 3341 - 3355 . https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI99032 https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI99032 Nano-targeted induction of dual ferroptotic mechanisms eradicates high-risk neuroblastoma Hassannia B , Vandenabeele P , Vanden Berghe T , 2019 . Targeting ferroptosis to iron out cancer . Cancer Cell , 35 ( 6 ): 830 - 849 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2019.04.002 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2019.04.002 Targeting ferroptosis to iron out cancer Hayano M , Yang WS , Corn CK , et al. , 2016 . Loss of cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase ( CARS ) induces the transsulfuration pathway and inhibits ferroptosis induced by cystine deprivation . Cell Death Differ , 23 ( 2 ): 270 - 278 . https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2015.93 https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2015.93 Loss of cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS) induces the transsulfuration pathway and inhibits ferroptosis induced by cystine deprivation Hayes JD , Dinkova-Kostova AT , 2017 . Epigenetic control of NRF2-directed cellular antioxidant status in dictating life-death decisions . Mol Cell , 68 ( 1 ): 5 - 7 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2017.09.023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2017.09.023 Epigenetic control of NRF2-directed cellular antioxidant status in dictating life-death decisions Hentze MW , Muckenthaler MU , Galy B , et al. , 2010 . Two to tango: regulation of mammalian iron metabolism . Cell , 142 ( 1 ): 24 - 38 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2010.06.028 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2010.06.028 Two to tango: regulation of mammalian iron metabolism Horniblow RD , Bedford M , Hollingworth R , et al. , 2017 . BRAF mutations are associated with increased iron regulatory protein-2 expression in colorectal tumorigenesis . Cancer Sci , 108 ( 6 ): 1135 - 1143 . https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.13234 https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.13234 BRAF mutations are associated with increased iron regulatory protein-2 expression in colorectal tumorigenesis Hou W , Xie YC , Song XX , et al. , 2016 . Autophagy promotes ferroptosis by degradation of ferritin . Autophagy , 12 ( 8 ): 1425 - 1428 . https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2016.1187366 https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2016.1187366 Autophagy promotes ferroptosis by degradation of ferritin Hung CL , Wang LY , Yu YL , et al. , 2014 . A long noncoding RNA connects c-Myc to tumor metabolism . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 111 ( 52 ): 18697 - 18702 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1415669112 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1415669112 A long noncoding RNA connects c-Myc to tumor metabolism Jiang L , Kon N , Li TY , et al. , 2015 . Ferroptosis as a p53-mediated activity during tumour suppression . Nature , 520 ( 7545 ): 57 - 62 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14344 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14344 Ferroptosis as a p53-mediated activity during tumour suppression Jiang XJ , Stockwell BR , Conrad M , 2021 . Ferroptosis: mechanisms, biology and role in disease . Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol , 22 ( 4 ): 266 - 282 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-00324-8 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-00324-8 Ferroptosis: mechanisms, biology and role in disease Johnsen KB , Burkhart A , Thomsen LB , et al. , 2019 . Targeting the transferrin receptor for brain drug delivery . Prog Neurobiol , 181 : 101665 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.101665 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.101665 Targeting the transferrin receptor for brain drug delivery Jones DT , Trowbridge IS , Harris AL , 2006 . Effects of transferrin receptor blockade on cancer cell proliferation and hypoxia-inducible factor function and their differential regulation by ascorbate . Cancer Res , 66 ( 5 ): 2749 - 2756 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-3857 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-3857 Effects of transferrin receptor blockade on cancer cell proliferation and hypoxia-inducible factor function and their differential regulation by ascorbate Junttila MR , Evan GI , 2009 . p53—a Jack of all trades but master of none . Nat Rev Cancer , 9 ( 11 ): 821 - 829 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc2728 https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc2728 p53—a Jack of all trades but master of none Kagan VE , Mao GW , Qu F , et al. , 2017 . Oxidized arachidonic and adrenic PEs navigate cells to ferroptosis . Nat Chem Biol , 13 ( 1 ): 81 - 90 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2238 https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2238 Oxidized arachidonic and adrenic PEs navigate cells to ferroptosis Kastenhuber ER , Lowe SW , 2017 . Putting p53 in context . Cell , 170 ( 6 ): 1062 - 1078 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.028 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.028 Putting p53 in context Keel SB , Doty RT , Yang ZT , et al. , 2008 . A heme export protein is required for red blood cell differentiation and iron homeostasis . Science , 319 ( 5864 ): 825 - 828 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151133 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151133 A heme export protein is required for red blood cell differentiation and iron homeostasis Khan MA , Walden WE , Goss DJ , et al. , 2009 . Direct Fe 2+ sensing by iron-responsive messenger RNA·repressor complexes weakens binding . J Biol Chem , 284 ( 44 ): 30122 - 30128 . https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M109.041061 https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M109.041061 Direct Fe2+ sensing by iron-responsive messenger RNA·repressor complexes weakens binding Kobayashi H , Nagato T , Sato K , et al. , 2007 . Recognition of prostate and melanoma tumor cells by six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-specific helper T lymphocytes in a human leukocyte antigen class II-restricted manner . Cancer Res , 67 ( 11 ): 5498 - 5504 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-0304 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-0304 Recognition of prostate and melanoma tumor cells by six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-specific helper T lymphocytes in a human leukocyte antigen class II-restricted manner Koppula P , Zhang YL , Zhuang L , et al. , 2018 . Amino acid transporter SLC7A11/xCT at the crossroads of regulating redox homeostasis and nutrient dependency of cancer . Cancer Commun (Lond) , 38 ( 1 ): 1 - 13 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s40880-018-0288-x https://doi.org/10.1186/s40880-018-0288-x Amino acid transporter SLC7A11/xCT at the crossroads of regulating redox homeostasis and nutrient dependency of cancer Korolnek T , Hamza I , 2015 . Macrophages and iron trafficking at the birth and death of red cells . Blood , 125 ( 19 ): 2893 - 2897 . https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2014-12-567776 https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2014-12-567776 Macrophages and iron trafficking at the birth and death of red cells Leng XH , Ding T , Lin H , et al. , 2009 . Inhibition of lipocalin 2 impairs breast tumorigenesis and metastasis . Cancer Res , 69 ( 22 ): 8579 - 8584 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-1934 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-1934 Inhibition of lipocalin 2 impairs breast tumorigenesis and metastasis Li DS , Li YS , 2020 . The interaction between ferroptosis and lipid metabolism in cancer . Signal Transduct Target Ther , 5 : 108 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-020-00216-5 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-020-00216-5 The interaction between ferroptosis and lipid metabolism in cancer Li QQ , Li Q , Jia JN , et al. , 2018 . 12/15 lipoxygenase: a crucial enzyme in diverse types of cell death . Neurochem Int , 118 : 34 - 41 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2018.04.002 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2018.04.002 12/15 lipoxygenase: a crucial enzyme in diverse types of cell death Li RH , Tian T , Ge QW , et al. , 2021 . A phosphatidic acid-binding lncRNA SNHG9 facilitates LATS1 liquid-liquid phase separation to promote oncogenic YAP signaling . Cell Res , 31 ( 10 ): 1088 - 1105 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-021-00530-9 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-021-00530-9 A phosphatidic acid-binding lncRNA SNHG9 facilitates LATS1 liquid-liquid phase separation to promote oncogenic YAP signaling Li YJ , Tan Z , Zhang YH , et al. , 2021 . A noncoding RNA modulator potentiates phenylalanine metabolism in mice . Science , 373 ( 6555 ): 662 - 673 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba4991 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba4991 A noncoding RNA modulator potentiates phenylalanine metabolism in mice Lill R , Freibert SA , 2020 . Mechanisms of mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein biogenesis . Annu Rev Biochem , 89 : 471 - 499 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111540 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111540 Mechanisms of mitochondrial iron-sulfur protein biogenesis Lin AF , Li CL , Xing Z , et al. , 2016 . The LINK-A lncRNA activates normoxic HIF1α signalling in triple-negative breast cancer . Nat Cell Biol , 18 ( 2 ): 213 - 224 . https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3295 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3295 The LINK-A lncRNA activates normoxic HIF1α signalling in triple-negative breast cancer Lin AF , Hu QS , Li CL , et al. , 2017 . The LINK-A lncRNA interacts with PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 to hyperactivate AKT and confer resistance to AKT inhibitors . Nat Cell Biol , 19 ( 3 ): 238 - 251 . https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3473 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3473 The LINK-A lncRNA interacts with PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 to hyperactivate AKT and confer resistance to AKT inhibitors Lin CR , Yang LQ , 2018 . Long noncoding RNA in cancer: wiring signaling circuitry . Trends Cell Biol , 28 ( 4 ): 287 - 301 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2017.11.008 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2017.11.008 Long noncoding RNA in cancer: wiring signaling circuitry Linehan WM , Rouault TA , 2013 . Molecular pathways: fumarate hydratase -deficient kidney cancer—targeting the Warburg effect in cancer . Clin Cancer Res , 19 ( 13 ):‍ 3345 - 3352 . https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-0304 https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-0304 Molecular pathways: fumarate hydratase-deficient kidney cancer—targeting the Warburg effect in cancer Liu J , Liu ZX , Wu QN , et al. , 2020 . Long noncoding RNA AGPG regulates PFKFB3-mediated tumor glycolytic reprogramming . Nat Commun , 11 : 1507 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15112-3 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15112-3 Long noncoding RNA AGPG regulates PFKFB3-mediated tumor glycolytic reprogramming Liu JH , Gao L , Zhan N , et al. , 2020 . Hypoxia induced ferritin light chain (FTL) promoted epithelia mesenchymal transition and chemoresistance of glioma . J Exp Clin Cancer Res , 39 : 137 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-020-01641-8 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-020-01641-8 Hypoxia induced ferritin light chain (FTL) promoted epithelia mesenchymal transition and chemoresistance of glioma Liu JY , Xia XJ , Huang P , 2020 . xCT: a critical molecule that links cancer metabolism to redox signaling . Mol Ther , 28 ( 11 ): 2358 - 2366 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.08.021 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.08.021 xCT: a critical molecule that links cancer metabolism to redox signaling Liu SJ , Dang HX , Lim DA , et al. , 2021 . Long noncoding RNAs in cancer metastasis . Nat Rev Cancer , 21 ( 7 ): 446 - 460 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00353-1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-021-00353-1 Long noncoding RNAs in cancer metastasis Liu XR , Liang YJ , Song RP , et al. , 2018 . Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 -modulated abnormal lipolysis via ATGL drives hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation . Mol Cancer , 17 : 90 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0838-5 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0838-5 Long non-coding RNA NEAT1-modulated abnormal lipolysis via ATGL drives hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation Lo M , Wang YZ , Gout PW , 2008 . The x <math id="M1"><msubsup><mrow/><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">c</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>-</mo></mrow></msubsup></math> http://html.publish.founderss.cn/rc-pub/api/common/picture?pictureId=38127245&type= http://html.publish.founderss.cn/rc-pub/api/common/picture?pictureId=38127244&type= 1.01600003 3.72533321 cystine/glutamate antiporter: a potential target for therapy of cancer and other diseases . J Cell Physiol , 215 ( 3 ): 593 - 602 . https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.21366 https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.21366 The xc- cystine/glutamate antiporter: a potential target for therapy of cancer and other diseases Lu L , Liu LP , Zhao QQ , et al. , 2021 . Identification of a ferroptosis-related lncRNA signature as a novel prognosis model for lung adenocarcinoma . Front Oncol , 11 : 675545 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.675545 https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.675545 Identification of a ferroptosis-related lncRNA signature as a novel prognosis model for lung adenocarcinoma Luo WJ , Wang J , Xu WH , et al. , 2021 . LncRNA RP11-89 facilitates tumorigenesis and ferroptosis resistance through PROM2-activated iron export by sponging miR-129-5p in bladder cancer . Cell Death Discov , 12 ( 11 ): 1043 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04296-1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04296-1 LncRNA RP11-89 facilitates tumorigenesis and ferroptosis resistance through PROM2-activated iron export by sponging miR-129-5p in bladder cancer Ma J , Haldar S , Khan MA , et al. , 2012 . Fe 2+ binds iron responsive element-RNA, selectively changing protein-binding affinities and regulating mRNA repression and activation . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 109 ( 22 ): 8417 - 8422 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1120045109 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1120045109 Fe2+ binds iron responsive element-RNA, selectively changing protein-binding affinities and regulating mRNA repression and activation Ma Q , 2013 . Role of Nrf2 in oxidative stress and toxicity . Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol , 53 : 401 - 426 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-011112-140320 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-011112-140320 Role of Nrf2 in oxidative stress and toxicity Malakar P , Stein I , Saragovi A , et al. , 2019 . Long noncoding RNA MALAT1 regulates cancer glucose metabolism by enhancing mTOR-mediated translation of TCF7L2 . Cancer Res , 79 ( 10 ): 2480 - 2493 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-1432 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-1432 Long noncoding RNA MALAT1 regulates cancer glucose metabolism by enhancing mTOR-mediated translation of TCF7L2 Mancias JD , Wang XX , Gygi SP , et al. , 2014 . Quantitative proteomics identifies NCOA4 as the cargo receptor mediating ferritinophagy . Nature , 509 ( 7498 ): 105 - 109 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13148 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13148 Quantitative proteomics identifies NCOA4 as the cargo receptor mediating ferritinophagy Mao C , Wang X , Liu YT , et al. , 2018 . A G3BP1-interacting lncRNA promotes ferroptosis and apoptosis in cancer via nuclear sequestration of p53 . Cancer Res , 78 ( 13 ):‍ 3484 - 3496 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-3454 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-3454 A G3BP1-interacting lncRNA promotes ferroptosis and apoptosis in cancer via nuclear sequestration of p53 Meyron-Holtz EG , Ghosh MC , Rouault TA , 2004 . Mammalian tissue oxygen levels modulate iron-regulatory protein activities in vivo . Science , 306 ( 5704 ): 2087 - 2090 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103786 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103786 Mammalian tissue oxygen levels modulate iron-regulatory protein activities in vivo Miller LD , Coffman LG , Chou JW , et al. , 2011 . An iron regulatory gene signature predicts outcome in breast cancer . Cancer Res , 71 ( 21 ): 6728 - 6737 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-1870 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-1870 An iron regulatory gene signature predicts outcome in breast cancer Muckenthaler MU , Galy B , Hentze MW , 2008 . Systemic iron homeostasis and the iron-responsive element/iron-regulatory protein (IRE/IRP) regulatory network . Annu Rev Nutr , 28 : 197 - 213 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.28.061807.155521 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.28.061807.155521 Systemic iron homeostasis and the iron-responsive element/iron-regulatory protein (IRE/IRP) regulatory network Muckenthaler MU , Rivella S , Hentze MW , et al. , 2017 . A red carpet for iron metabolism . Cell , 168 ( 3 ): 344 - 361 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.034 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.034 A red carpet for iron metabolism Muto Y , Moroishi T , Ichihara K , et al. , 2019 . Disruption of FBXL5-mediated cellular iron homeostasis promotes liver carcinogenesis . J Exp Med , 216 ( 4 ): 950 - 965 . https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20180900 https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20180900 Disruption of FBXL5-mediated cellular iron homeostasis promotes liver carcinogenesis Netz DJA , Stith CM , Stümpfig M , et al. , 2011 . Eukaryotic DNA polymerases require an iron-sulfur cluster for the formation of active complexes . Nat Chem Biol , 8 ( 1 ): 125 - 132 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.721 https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.721 Eukaryotic DNA polymerases require an iron-sulfur cluster for the formation of active complexes Ohgami RS , Campagna DR , Greer EL , et al. , 2005 . Identification of a ferrireductase required for efficient transferrin-dependent iron uptake in erythroid cells . Nat Genet , 37 ( 11 ): 1264 - 1269 . https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1658 https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1658 Identification of a ferrireductase required for efficient transferrin-dependent iron uptake in erythroid cells Okazaki F , Matsunaga N , Okazaki H , et al. , 2010 . Circadian rhythm of transferrin receptor 1 gene expression controlled by c-Myc in colon cancer-bearing mice . Cancer Res , 70 ( 15 ): 6238 - 6246 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0184 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0184 Circadian rhythm of transferrin receptor 1 gene expression controlled by c-Myc in colon cancer-bearing mice Osborne NJ , Gurrin LC , Allen KJ , et al. , 2010 . HFE C282Y homozygotes are at increased risk of breast and colorectal cancer . Hepatology , 51 ( 4 ): 1311 - 1318 . https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.23448 https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.23448 HFE C282Y homozygotes are at increased risk of breast and colorectal cancer Parker JL , Deme JC , Kolokouris D , et al. , 2021 . Molecular basis for redox control by the human cystine/glutamate antiporter system xc - . Nat Commun , 12 : 7147 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27414-1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27414-1 Molecular basis for redox control by the human cystine/glutamate antiporter system xc- Pasricha SR , Tye-Din J , Muckenthaler MU , et al. , 2021 . Iron deficiency . Lancet , 397 ( 10270 ): 233 - 248 . https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32594-0 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32594-0 Iron deficiency Patra S , Barondeau DP , 2019 . Mechanism of activation of the human cysteine desulfurase complex by frataxin . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 116 ( 39 ): 19421 - 19430 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909535116 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909535116 Mechanism of activation of the human cysteine desulfurase complex by frataxin Pinnix ZK , Miller LD , Wang W , et al. , 2010 . Ferroportin and iron regulation in breast cancer progression and prognosis . Sci Transl Med , 2 ( 43 ): 43ra56 . https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.3001127 https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.3001127 Ferroportin and iron regulation in breast cancer progression and prognosis Poli M , Asperti M , Ruzzenenti P , et al. , 2014 . Hepcidin antagonists for potential treatments of disorders with hepcidin excess . Front Pharmacol , 5 : 86 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2014.00086 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2014.00086 Hepcidin antagonists for potential treatments of disorders with hepcidin excess Qi WC , Li ZH , Xia LJ , et al. , 2019 . LncRNA GABPB1-AS1 and GABPB1 regulate oxidative stress during erastin-induced ferroptosis in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells . Sci Rep , 9 : 16185 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52837-8 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52837-8 LncRNA GABPB1-AS1 and GABPB1 regulate oxidative stress during erastin-induced ferroptosis in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells Qin X , Zhang J , Wang B , et al. , 2021 . Ferritinophagy is involved in the zinc oxide nanoparticles-induced ferroptosis of vascular endothelial cells . Autophagy , 17 ( 12 ): 4266 - 4285 . https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1911016 https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1911016 Ferritinophagy is involved in the zinc oxide nanoparticles-induced ferroptosis of vascular endothelial cells Radulescu S , Brookes MJ , Salgueiro P , et al. , 2012 . Luminal iron levels govern intestinal tumorigenesis after Apc loss in vivo . Cell Rep , 2 ( 2 ): 270 - 282 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2012.07.003 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2012.07.003 Luminal iron levels govern intestinal tumorigenesis after Apc loss in vivo Rinn JL , Chang HY , 2012 . Genome regulation by long noncoding RNAs . Annu Rev Biochem , 81 : 145 - 166 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-051410-092902 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-biochem-051410-092902 Genome regulation by long noncoding RNAs Roh JL , Kim EH , Jang H , et al. , 2017 . Nrf2 inhibition reverses the resistance of cisplatin-resistant head and neck cancer cells to artesunate-induced ferroptosis . Redox Biol , 11 : 254 - 262 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2016.12.010 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2016.12.010 Nrf2 inhibition reverses the resistance of cisplatin-resistant head and neck cancer cells to artesunate-induced ferroptosis Rouault TA , 2013 . Iron metabolism in the CNS: implications for neurodegenerative diseases . Nat Rev Neurosci , 14 ( 8 ): 551 - 564 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3453 https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3453 Iron metabolism in the CNS: implications for neurodegenerative diseases Salahudeen AA , Thompson JW , Ruiz JC , et al. , 2009 . An E3 ligase possessing an iron-responsive hemerythrin domain is a regulator of iron homeostasis . Science , 326 ( 5953 ): 722 - 726 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1176326 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1176326 An E3 ligase possessing an iron-responsive hemerythrin domain is a regulator of iron homeostasis Sang LJ , Ju HQ , Liu GP , et al. , 2018 . LncRNA CamK - A regulates Ca 2+ -signaling-mediated tumor microenvironment remodeling . Mol Cell , 72 ( 1 ): 71 - 83.e7 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.08.014 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.08.014 LncRNA CamK-A regulates Ca2+-signaling-mediated tumor microenvironment remodeling Sang LJ , Ju HQ , Yang ZZ , et al. , 2021 . Mitochondrial long non-coding RNA GAS5 tunes TCA metabolism in response to nutrient stress . Nat Metab , 3 ( 1 ): 90 - 106 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-00325-z https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-020-00325-z Mitochondrial long non-coding RNA GAS5 tunes TCA metabolism in response to nutrient stress Sankaran VG , Ulirsch JC , Tchaikovskii V , et al. , 2015 . X-linked macrocytic dyserythropoietic anemia in females with an ALAS2 mutation . J Clin Invest , 125 ( 4 ): 1665 - 1669 . https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI78619 https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI78619 X-linked macrocytic dyserythropoietic anemia in females with an ALAS2 mutation Saxena N , Maio N , Crooks DR , et al. , 2016 . SDHB-deficient cancers: the role of mutations that impair iron sulfur cluster delivery . J Natl Cancer Inst , 108 ( 1 ): djv287 . https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djv287 https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djv287 SDHB-deficient cancers: the role of mutations that impair iron sulfur cluster delivery Schmitt AM , Chang HY , 2016 . Long noncoding RNAs in cancer pathways . Cancer Cell , 29 ( 4 ): 452 - 463 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2016.03.010 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2016.03.010 Long noncoding RNAs in cancer pathways Schonberg DL , Miller TE , Wu QL , et al. , 2015 . Preferential iron trafficking characterizes glioblastoma stem-like cells . Cancer Cell , 28 ( 4 ): 441 - 455 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2015.09.002 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2015.09.002 Preferential iron trafficking characterizes glioblastoma stem-like cells Shaw GC , Cope JJ , Li LT , et al. , 2006 . Mitoferrin is essential for erythroid iron assimilation . Nature , 440 ( 7080 ): 96 - 100 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04512 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04512 Mitoferrin is essential for erythroid iron assimilation Shi H , Gu YC , Yang J , et al. , 2008 . Lipocalin 2 promotes lung metastasis of murine breast cancer cells . J Exp Clin Cancer Res , 27 : 83 . https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-9966-27-83 https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-9966-27-83 Lipocalin 2 promotes lung metastasis of murine breast cancer cells Shi QF , Li YD , Li SY , et al. , 2020 . LncRNA DILA1 inhibits Cyclin D1 degradation and contributes to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer . Nat Commun , 11 : 5513 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19349-w https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19349-w LncRNA DILA1 inhibits Cyclin D1 degradation and contributes to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer Shimizu T , Lengalova A , Martínek V , et al. , 2019 . Heme: emergent roles of heme in signal transduction, functional regulation and as catalytic centres . Chem Soc Rev , 48 ( 24 ): 5624 - 5657 . https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cs00268e https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cs00268e Heme: emergent roles of heme in signal transduction, functional regulation and as catalytic centres Stehling O , Vashisht AA , Mascarenhas J , et al. , 2012 . MMS19 assembles iron-sulfur proteins required for DNA metabolism and genomic integrity . Science , 337 ( 6091 ): 195 - 199 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219723 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1219723 MMS19 assembles iron-sulfur proteins required for DNA metabolism and genomic integrity Stehling O , Mascarenhas J , Vashisht AA , et al. , 2013 . Human CIA2A-FAM96A and CIA2B-FAM96B integrate iron home ostasis and maturation of different subsets of cytosolic-nuclear iron-sulfur proteins. Cell Metab , 18 ( 2 ): 187 - 198 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.06.015 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.06.015 Human CIA2A-FAM96A and CIA2B-FAM96B integrate iron home Stockwell BR , Friedmann Angeli JP , Bayir H , et al. , 2017 . Ferroptosis: a regulated cell death nexus linking metabolism, redox biology, and disease . Cell , 171 ( 2 ): 273 - 285 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.021 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.021 Ferroptosis: a regulated cell death nexus linking metabolism, redox biology, and disease Stockwell BR , Jiang XJ , Gu W , 2020 . Emerging mechanisms and disease relevance of ferroptosis . Trends Cell Biol , 30 ( 6 ): 478 - 490 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2020.02.009 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2020.02.009 Emerging mechanisms and disease relevance of ferroptosis Sun H , Huang ZH , Sheng WQ , et al. , 2018 . Emerging roles of long non-coding RNAs in tumor metabolism . J Hematol Oncol , 11 : 106 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-018-0648-7 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-018-0648-7 Emerging roles of long non-coding RNAs in tumor metabolism Sun M , Nie FQ , Wang YF , et al. , 2016 . LncRNA HOXA11-AS promotes proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer by scaffolding the chromatin modification factors PRC2, LSD1, and DNMT1 . Cancer Res , 76 ( 21 ): 6299 - 6310 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-0356 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-16-0356 LncRNA HOXA11-AS promotes proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer by scaffolding the chromatin modification factors PRC2, LSD1, and DNMT1 Tan YT , Lin JF , Li T , et al. , 2021 . LncRNA-mediated posttranslational modifications and reprogramming of energy metabolism in cancer . Cancer Commun (Lond) , 41 ( 2 ): 109 - 120 . https://doi.org/10.1002/cac2.12108 https://doi.org/10.1002/cac2.12108 LncRNA-mediated posttranslational modifications and reprogramming of energy metabolism in cancer Tang Z , Jiang WL , Mao M , et al. , 2021 . Deubiquitinase USP35 modulates ferroptosis in lung cancer via targeting ferroportin . Clin Transl Med , 11 ( 4 ): e390 . https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.390 https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.390 Deubiquitinase USP35 modulates ferroptosis in lung cancer via targeting ferroportin Tarín C , Fernandez-Garcia CE , Burillo E , et al. , 2016 . Lipocalin-2 deficiency or blockade protects against aortic abdominal aneurysm development in mice . Cardiovasc Res , 111 ( 3 ): 262 - 273 . https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvw112 https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvw112 Lipocalin-2 deficiency or blockade protects against aortic abdominal aneurysm development in mice Tesfay L , Clausen KA , Kim JW , et al. , 2015 . Hepcidin regulation in prostate and its disruption in prostate cancer . Cancer Res , 75 ( 11 ): 2254 - 2263 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-2465 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-2465 Hepcidin regulation in prostate and its disruption in prostate cancer To-Figueras J , Ducamp S , Clayton J , et al. , 2011 . ALAS2 acts as a modifier gene in patients with congenital erythropoietic porphyria . Blood , 118 ( 6 ): 1443 - 1451 . https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2011-03-342873 https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2011-03-342873 ALAS2 acts as a modifier gene in patients with congenital erythropoietic porphyria Tong WH , Sourbier C , Kovtunovych G , et al. , 2011 . The glycolytic shift in fumarate-hydratase-deficient kidney cancer lowers AMPK levels, increases anabolic propensities and lowers cellular iron levels . Cancer Cell , 20 ( 3 ): 315 - 327 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2011.07.018 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2011.07.018 The glycolytic shift in fumarate-hydratase-deficient kidney cancer lowers AMPK levels, increases anabolic propensities and lowers cellular iron levels Torti SV , Torti FM , 2013 . Iron and cancer: more ore to be mined . Nat Rev Cancer , 13 ( 5 ): 342 - 355 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3495 https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3495 Iron and cancer: more ore to be mined Vela D , Vela-Gaxha Z , 2018 . Differential regulation of hepcidin in cancer and non-cancer tissues and its clinical implications . Exp Mol Med , 50 ( 2 ): e436 . https://doi.org/10.1038/emm.2017.273 https://doi.org/10.1038/emm.2017.273 Differential regulation of hepcidin in cancer and non-cancer tissues and its clinical implications Viswanathan VS , Ryan MJ , Dhruv HD , et al. , 2017 . Depend ency of a therapy-resistant state of cancer cells on a lipid peroxidase pathway. Nature , 547 ( 7664 ): 453 - 457 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23007 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23007 Depend Wang B , Tontonoz P , 2019 . Phospholipid remodeling in physiology and disease . Annu Rev Physiol , 81 : 165 - 188 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114444 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114444 Phospholipid remodeling in physiology and disease Wang B , Zhang JQ , Song F , et al. , 2016 . EGFR regulates iron homeostasis to promote cancer growth through redistribution of transferrin receptor 1 . Cancer Lett , 381 ( 2 ): 331 - 340 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2016.08.006 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2016.08.006 EGFR regulates iron homeostasis to promote cancer growth through redistribution of transferrin receptor 1 Wang CQ , Li YM , Yan S , et al. , 2020 . Interactome analysis reveals that lncRNA HULC promotes aerobic glycolysis through LDHA and PKM2 . Nat Commun , 11 : 3162 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16966-3 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16966-3 Interactome analysis reveals that lncRNA HULC promotes aerobic glycolysis through LDHA and PKM2 Wang JF , Wang C , Xu P , et al. , 2021 . PRMT1 is a novel molecular therapeutic target for clear cell renal cell carcinoma . Theranostics , 11 ( 11 ): 5387 - 5403 . https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.42345 https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.42345 PRMT1 is a novel molecular therapeutic target for clear cell renal cell carcinoma Wang KC , Chang HY , 2011 . Molecular mechanisms of long noncoding RNAs . Mol Cell , 43 ( 6 ): 904 - 914 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2011.08.018 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2011.08.018 Molecular mechanisms of long noncoding RNAs Wang LY , Liu YC , Du TT , et al. , 2020 . ATF3 promotes erastin-induced ferroptosis by suppressing system Xc - . Cell Death Differ , 27 ( 2 ): 662 - 675 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0380-z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0380-z ATF3 promotes erastin-induced ferroptosis by suppressing system Xc- Wang M , Mao C , Ouyang LL , et al. , 2019 . Long noncoding RNA LINC00336 inhibits ferroptosis in lung cancer by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA . Cell Death Differ , 26 ( 11 ): 2329 - 2343 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0304-y https://doi.org/10.1038/s41418-019-0304-y Long noncoding RNA LINC00336 inhibits ferroptosis in lung cancer by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA Wang W , Deng ZY , Hatcher H , et al. , 2014 . IRP2 regulates breast tumor growth . Cancer Res , 74 ( 2 ): 497 - 507 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1224 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1224 IRP2 regulates breast tumor growth Wang YF , Yu L , Ding J , et al. , 2018 . Iron metabolism in cancer . Int J Mol Sci , 20 ( 1 ): 95 . https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20010095 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20010095 Iron metabolism in cancer Wang ZL , Chen XW , Liu N , et al. , 2021 . A nuclear long non-coding RNA LINC00618 accelerates ferroptosis in a manner dependent upon apoptosis . Mol Ther , 29 ( 1 ): 263 - 274 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.09.024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.09.024 A nuclear long non-coding RNA LINC00618 accelerates ferroptosis in a manner dependent upon apoptosis Wei S , Qiu TM , Yao XF , et al. , 2020 . Arsenic induces pancreatic dysfunction and ferroptosis via mitochondrial ROS-autophagy-lysosomal pathway . J Hazard Mater , 384 : 121390 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121390 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121390 Arsenic induces pancreatic dysfunction and ferroptosis via mitochondrial ROS-autophagy-lysosomal pathway Wu CK , Dailey HA , Rose JP , et al. , 2001 . The 2 . 0 Å structure of human ferrochelatase , the terminal enzyme of heme biosynthesis. Nat Struct Biol, 8 ( 2 ): 156 - 160 . https://doi.org/10.1038/84152 https://doi.org/10.1038/84152 The 2 Wu J , Minikes AM , Gao MH , et al. , 2019 . Intercellular interaction dictates cancer cell ferroptosis via NF2-YAP signalling . Nature , 572 ( 7769 ): 402 - 406 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1426-6 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1426-6 Intercellular interaction dictates cancer cell ferroptosis via NF2-YAP signalling Wu KJ , Polack A , Dalla-Favera R , 1999 . Coordinated regulation of iron-controlling genes, H-ferritin and IRP2 , by c-MYC . Science , 283 ( 5402 ): 676 - 679 . https://doi.org/10.1126/science.283.5402.676 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.283.5402.676 Coordinated regulation of iron-controlling genes, H-ferritin and IRP2, by c-MYC Wu YQ , Zhang SW , Gong XX , et al. , 2020 . The epigenetic regulators and metabolic changes in ferroptosis-associated cancer progression . Mol Cancer , 19 : 39 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-020-01157-x https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-020-01157-x The epigenetic regulators and metabolic changes in ferroptosis-associated cancer progression Wu YY , Jiang JN , Fang XD , et al. , 2018 . STEAP1 regulates tumorigenesis and chemoresistance during peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer . Front Physiol , 9 : 1132 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01132 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01132 STEAP1 regulates tumorigenesis and chemoresistance during peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer Xiao X , Yeoh BS , Vijay-Kumar M , 2017 . Lipocalin 2: an emerging player in iron homeostasis and inflammation . Annu Rev Nutr , 37 : 103 - 130 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064559 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064559 Lipocalin 2: an emerging player in iron homeostasis and inflammation Xie Y , Hou W , Song X , et al. , 2016 . Ferroptosis: process and function . Cell Death Differ , 23 ( 3 ): 369 - 379 . https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2015.158 https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2015.158 Ferroptosis: process and function Xu HN , Jiang Y , Xu XQ , et al. , 2019 . Inducible degradation of lncRNA Sros1 promotes IFN-γ-mediated activation of innate immune responses by stabilizing Stat1 mRNA . Nat Immunol , 20 ( 12 ): 1621 - 1630 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0542-7 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0542-7 Inducible degradation of lncRNA Sros1 promotes IFN-γ-mediated activation of innate immune responses by stabilizing Stat1 mRNA Xu J , Wu KJ , Jia QJ , et al. , 2020 . Roles of miRNA and lncRNA in triple-negative breast cancer . J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol) , 21 ( 9 ): 673 - 689 . https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1900709 https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B1900709 Roles of miRNA and lncRNA in triple-negative breast cancer Xue X , Taylor M , Anderson E , et al. , 2012 . Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α activation promotes colorectal cancer progression by dysregulating iron homeostasis . Cancer Res , 72 ( 9 ): 2285 - 2293 . https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3836 https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-3836 Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α activation promotes colorectal cancer progression by dysregulating iron homeostasis Xue X , Ramakrishnan SK , Weisz K , et al. , 2016 . Iron uptake via DMT1 integrates cell cycle with JAK-STAT3 signaling to promote colorectal tumorigenesis . Cell Metab , 24 ( 3 ): 447 - 461 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.07.015 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.07.015 Iron uptake via DMT1 integrates cell cycle with JAK-STAT3 signaling to promote colorectal tumorigenesis Xue X , Bredell BX , Anderson ER , et al. , 2017 . Quantitative proteomics identifies STEAP4 as a critical regulator of mitochondrial dysfunction linking inflammation and colon cancer . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA , 114 ( 45 ): E9608 - E9617 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1712946114 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1712946114 Quantitative proteomics identifies STEAP4 as a critical regulator of mitochondrial dysfunction linking inflammation and colon cancer Yamazaki T , Souquere S , Chujo T , et al. , 2018 . Functional domains of NEAT1 architectural lncRNA induce paraspeckle assembly through phase separation . Mol Cell , 70 ( 6 ): 1038 - 1053.e7 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.05.019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2018.05.019 Functional domains of NEAT1 architectural lncRNA induce paraspeckle assembly through phase separation Yang WS , Stockwell BR , 2016 . Ferroptosis: death by lipid peroxidation . Trends Cell Biol , 26 ( 3 ): 165 - 176 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2015.10.014 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2015.10.014 Ferroptosis: death by lipid peroxidation Yang WS , Sriramaratnam R , Welsch ME , et al. , 2014 . Regulation of ferroptotic cancer cell death by GPX4 . Cell , 156 ( 1-2 ): 317 - 331 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.12.010 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2013.12.010 Regulation of ferroptotic cancer cell death by GPX4 Yuan P , Qi XY , Song AP , et al. , 2021 . LncRNA MAYA promotes iron overload and hepatocyte senescence through inhibition of YAP in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease . J Cell Mol Med , 25 ( 15 ): 7354 - 7366 . https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.16764 https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.16764 LncRNA MAYA promotes iron overload and hepatocyte senescence through inhibition of YAP in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Zhang CG , Zhang F , 2015 . Iron homeostasis and tumorigenesis: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities . Protein Cell , 6 ( 2 ): 88 - 100 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-014-0119-z https://doi.org/10.1007/s13238-014-0119-z Iron homeostasis and tumorigenesis: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities Zhang KM , Ping LQ , Du T , et al. , 2021 . A ferroptosis-related lncRNAs signature predicts prognosis and immune microenvironment for breast cancer . Front Mol Biosci , 8 : 678877 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2021.678877 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2021.678877 A ferroptosis-related lncRNAs signature predicts prognosis and immune microenvironment for breast cancer Zhang YL , Shi JJ , Liu XG , et al. , 2018 . BAP1 links metabolic regulation of ferroptosis to tumour suppression . Nat Cell Biol , 20 ( 10 ): 1181 - 1192 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0178-0 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0178-0 BAP1 links metabolic regulation of ferroptosis to tumour suppression Zhang YY , Guo SQ , Wang S , et al. , 2021 . LncRNA OIP5-AS1 inhibits ferroptosis in prostate cancer with long-term cadmium exposure through miR-128-3p/SLC7A11 signaling . Ecotoxicol Environ Saf , 220 : 112376 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112376 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112376 LncRNA OIP5-AS1 inhibits ferroptosis in prostate cancer with long-term cadmium exposure through miR-128-3p/SLC7A11 signaling Zhao MM , Wang RS , Zhou YL , et al. , 2020 . Emerging relationship between RNA helicases and autophagy . J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol) , 21 ( 10 ): 767 - 778 . https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B2000245 https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B2000245 Emerging relationship between RNA helicases and autophagy Zheng X , Han H , Liu GP , et al. , 2017 . LncRNA wires up Hippo and Hedgehog signaling to reprogramme glucose metabolism . EMBO J , 36 ( 22 ): 3325 - 3335 . https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201797609 https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201797609 LncRNA wires up Hippo and Hedgehog signaling to reprogramme glucose metabolism Zheng ZY , Zhang Q , Wu W , et al. , 2021 . Identification and validation of a ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNA signature for predicting the outcome of lung adenocar cinoma. Front Genet , 12 : 690509 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.690509 https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.690509 Identification and validation of a ferroptosis-related long non-coding RNA signature for predicting the outcome of lung adenocar Zhou BR , Liu J , Kang R , et al. , 2020 . Ferroptosis is a type of autophagy-dependent cell death . Semin Cancer Biol , 66 : 89 - 100 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.03.002 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.03.002 Ferroptosis is a type of autophagy-dependent cell death Aifu LIN and Jian LIU contributed to the study design and data analysis, and edited the manuscript. Lei QU and Xinyu HE wrote the manuscript. Lei QU, Qian TANG, and Xiao FAN contributed to the figure and table design. All authors have read and approved the final version. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2021YFC2700903), the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2017YFA0105201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81672791 and 81872300), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholars (No. LR18C060002), the Huadong Medicine Joint Funds of the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LHDMY22H160006), and the ZJU-QILU Joint Research Institute QILU Group. 10.1631/jzus.B2200194 1673-1581（2022）10-0844-19 This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2021YFC2700903), the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2017YFA0105201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81672791 and 81872300), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholars (No. LR18C060002), the Huadong Medicine Joint Funds of the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. LHDMY22H160006), and the ZJU-QILU Joint Research Institute QILU Group. 2022-04-05 2022-06-28 2022-10-15 2022-12-27 2022-09-01 Copyright © Zhejiang University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022 2022 浙江大学出版社 Lei QU, Xinyu HE, Qian TANG, Xiao FAN, Jian LIU, and Aifu LIN declare that they have no conflict of interest. This review does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any authors. Compliance with ethics guidelines 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术） 10 23