24 September 2025 : Review article
Role of Ferroptosis on Lung Epithelial Cells in Disease Progression and Treatment: A Review
Xi Yin CDEF 1,2, Xiaohui Hou DEF 1, Jian Feng ADEF 1*DOI: 10.12659/MSM.948226
Med Sci Monit 2025; 31:e948226
Table 1 Summary of ferroptosis mechanisms and effects in different lung epithelial cell types across pulmonary diseases.
| Lung disease | Epithelial cell type involved | Role of ferroptosis | Key inducers/inhibitors | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COPD | Bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) | Oxidative stress and ferroptosis contribute to epithelial injury and inflammation | Ferrostatin-1, Liproxstatin-1, NAC | [,,]61 |
| Asthma | Bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) | Ferroptosis exacerbates epithelial dysfunction in IL-13-induced asthma model | Ferrostatin-1 | []139 |
| Pulmonary Fibrosis | Type II alveolar epithelial cells (MLE-12, A549) | Ferroptosis promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition and fibrosis via oxidative stress and iron overload | Deferoxamine, DHQ SETDB1, UHRF1 | [–]128 |
| Lung infection | Bronchial epithelial cells | triggers ferroptosis leading to epithelial injury | Ferrostatin-1 | []140 |
| Acute lung injury | Alveolar epithelial cells | Increased ROS and ferroptosis worsen epithelial damage | Ferulic acid, NAC, proanthocyanidins | [,,]154 |
| Lung cancer | A549, H1299 cells | Ferroptosis induction offers therapeutic benefit via anti-tumor effects | Curcumin, erastin, sulfasalazine, nanoparticles | [,,–]143 |
| Radiation-induced lung injury | Type II alveolar epithelial cells (surfactant-associated protein C+) | Radiation induces ferroptosis contributing to fibrosis | SOD@ARA290-HBc nanoreactor | []166 |
| COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; DHQ – dihydroquercetin; NAC – N-acetyl-L-cysteine; ROS – reactive oxygen species. | ||||