Research progress on ferroptosis in the treatment of oral cancer

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered method of programmed cell death. Current studies have shown that activation of ferroptosis-related pathways can inhibit the growth and proliferation of tumor cells and reverse their drug resistance. Oral cancer is a common malignant tumor with a high recurrence rate and high drug resistance. Inducing ferroptosis is a potential treatment strategy. There are still many uncertainties in the application of ferroptosis in the treatment of oral cancer, which need to be further explored. This article systematically introduces the mechanism of ferroptosis and its recent progress in oral cancer treatment to provide new mechanisms and methods for the clinical treatment of oral cancer. Current research shows that the mechanism of ferroptosis is mainly related to amino acid metabolism, Fe²⁺ metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Ferroptosis in oral cancer cells can reverse drug resistance in cancer cells and improve the activity of immune cells. New drugs, such as curcumin analogs and triptolide, can induce ferroptosis in oral cancer, and the development of nanomaterials has improved the utilization rate of drugs. Inhibiting the expression of the ferroptosis-related factors SLC7A11, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) can promote ferroptosis in oral cancer cells. It is a potential target for the clinical treatment of oral cancer, but its translation into clinical practice still needs further research.