Chen Yuehua, Ohara Toshiaki, Xing Boyi, Qi Jiping, Noma Kazuhiro, Matsukawa Akihiro
Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Acta Med Okayama. 2020 Feb;74(1):1-6. doi: 10.18926/AMO/57946.
Iron is a trace but vital element in the human body and is necessary for a multitude of crucial processes in life. However, iron overload is known to induce carcinogenesis via oxidative stress. Cancer cells require large amounts of iron for their rapid division and cell growth. Iron was recently found to play a role in cancer stem cells (CSCs); it maintains stemness during development. Iron also plays an important role in stemness by moderating reactive oxygen species. Thus, iron metabolism in CSCs is a promising therapeutic target. In this review, we summarize the roles of iron in cancer cells and CSCs. We also summarize anti-cancer therapeutic studies with iron chelators and describe our expectation of a new therapeutic strategy for CSCs on the basis of our findings.
铁是人体中的一种微量元素，但至关重要，是生命中众多关键过程所必需的。然而，已知铁过载会通过氧化应激诱导致癌作用。癌细胞快速分裂和细胞生长需要大量的铁。最近发现铁在癌症干细胞（CSCs）中发挥作用；它在发育过程中维持干性。铁还通过调节活性氧在干性方面发挥重要作用。因此，癌症干细胞中的铁代谢是一个有前景的治疗靶点。在本综述中，我们总结了铁在癌细胞和癌症干细胞中的作用。我们还总结了使用铁螯合剂的抗癌治疗研究，并根据我们的发现描述了对癌症干细胞新治疗策略的期望。
