Research progress on the pathological mechanisms and clinical translation of ferroptosis in necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening intestinal disease of preterm infants, with a complex pathogenesis involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death. In recent years, ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of programmed cell death, has attracted increasing attention for its role in NEC. This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms of ferroptosis and its relationship with NEC, elucidates its roles in intestinal barrier injury, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in NEC, and explores potential intervention strategies, aiming to provide new directions for the early diagnosis and treatment of NEC.