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Yapici FI, Bebber CM, von Karstedt S. A guide to ferroptosis in cancer. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 38590214 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a newly identified iron-dependent type of regulated cell death that can also be regarded as death caused by the specific collapse of the lipid antioxidant defence machinery. Ferroptosis has gained increasing attention as a potential therapeutic strategy for therapy-resistant cancer types. However, many ferroptosis-inducing small molecules do not reach the pharmacokinetic requirements for their effective clinical use yet. Nevertheless, their clinical optimization is under development. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of molecular pathways regulating ferroptosis, how cells protect themselves from the induction of ferroptotic cell death, and how a better understanding of cancer cell metabolism can represent vulnerabilities for ferroptosis-based therapies. Lastly, we discuss the context-dependent effect of ferroptosis on various cell types within the tumor microenvironment and address controversies on how tissue ferroptosis might impact systemic cancer immunity in a paracrine manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Isil Yapici
- Department of Translational Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Christina M Bebber
- Department of Translational Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Germany
| | - Silvia von Karstedt
- Department of Translational Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Germany
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Müller F, Lim JKM, Bebber CM, Seidel E, Tishina S, Dahlhaus A, Stroh J, Beck J, Yapici FI, Nakayama K, Torres Fernández L, Brägelmann J, Leprivier G, von Karstedt S. Elevated FSP1 protects KRAS-mutated cells from ferroptosis during tumor initiation. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:442-456. [PMID: 36443441 PMCID: PMC9950476 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-01096-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS is the key driver oncogene for several of the most aggressive human cancers. One key feature of oncogenic KRAS expression is an early increase in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) which promotes cellular transformation if cells manage to escape cell death, mechanisms of which remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify that expression of oncogenic as compared to WT KRAS in isogenic cellular systems renders cells more resistant to ferroptosis, a recently described type of regulated necrosis. Mechanistically, we find that cells with mutant KRAS show a specific lack of ferroptosis-induced lipid peroxidation. Interestingly, KRAS-mutant cells upregulate expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1). Indeed, elevated levels of FSP1 in KRAS-mutant cells are responsible for mediating ferroptosis resistance and FSP1 is upregulated as a consequence of MAPK and NRF2 pathway activation downstream of KRAS. Strikingly, FSP1 activity promotes cellular transformation in soft agar and its overexpression is sufficient to promote spheroid growth in 3D in KRAS WT cells. Moreover, FSP1 expression and its activity in ferroptosis inhibition accelerates tumor onset of KRAS WT cells in the absence of oncogenic KRAS in vivo. Consequently, we find that pharmacological induction of ferroptosis in pancreatic organoids derived from the LsL-KRASG12D expressing mouse model is only effective in combination with FSP1 inhibition. Lastly, FSP1 is upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as compared to the respective normal tissue of origin and correlates with NRF2 expression in PDAC patient datasets. Based on these data, we propose that KRAS-mutant cells must navigate a ferroptosis checkpoint by upregulating FSP1 during tumor establishment. Consequently, ferroptosis-inducing therapy should be combined with FSP1 inhibitors for efficient therapy of KRAS-mutant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Müller
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonathan K M Lim
- Heinrich Heine University, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Institute of Neuropathology, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christina M Bebber
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eric Seidel
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sofya Tishina
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alina Dahlhaus
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jenny Stroh
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Beck
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fatma Isil Yapici
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Keiko Nakayama
- Division of Cell Proliferation, ART, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Lucia Torres Fernández
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Brägelmann
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriel Leprivier
- Heinrich Heine University, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Institute of Neuropathology, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Silvia von Karstedt
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department of Translational Genomics, Cologne, Germany.
- CECAD Cluster of Excellence, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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