Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (16): 2613-2618.doi: 10.12307/2024.286

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Ferroptosis in bone diseases: therapeutic targets of osteoporosis

Xie Heng1, Gu Ye1, Gu Yingchu1, Wu Zerui1, Fang Tao1, Wang Qiufei1, Peng Yuqin1, Geng Dechun2, Xu Yaozeng2   

  1. 1Department of Orthopedics, Changshu First People’s Hospital, Changshu Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu Province, China; 2Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Received:2023-02-23 Accepted:2023-04-24 Online:2024-06-08 Published:2023-07-31
  • Contact: Gu Ye, MD, Associate chief physician, Department of Orthopedics, Changshu First People’s Hospital, Changshu Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu Province, China
  • About author:Xie Heng, Master candidate, Department of Orthopedics, Changshu First People’s Hospital, Changshu Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changshu 215500, Jiangsu Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Jiangsu Province Young Medical Key Talents Program, No. QNRC2016751 (to GDC); Jiangsu Six-One Project Funding Project, No. LQY2016033 (to GDC); Key Research & Development Plan (Social Development) Project of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Nos. BE2021673 and BE2020666 (to GY); Science and Technology Development Plan Project of Suzhou Science and Technology Bureau, Nos. SYSD2022023 and SYSD2020013 (to GY); The Diagnosis and Treatment Project of Clinical Key Diseases of Suzhou Municipal Health and Health Commission, No. LCZX201824 (to GY); Science and Technology Plan Projects of Changshu Health Commission, Nos. CS202119 (to WQF) and CS201817 (to GY); Soochow University Horizontal Project, No. H200833 (to GY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND:  With the aging of the global population, the incidence rate of osteoporosis is also increasing. It is very important to further understand its pathogenesis and propose new therapeutic targets. Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis is closely related to the pathogenesis of some bone diseases, such as inflammatory arthritis, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the previous studies on the mechanism of ferroptosis in osteoporosis, so as to provide new therapeutic ideas and potential therapeutic targets for osteoporosis.
METHODS: The first author used the computer to search the documents published from 2000 to 2022 in CNKI, WanFang, VIP, PubMed and Web of Science with the key words of “ferroptosis, osteoporosis, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, iron chelators, reactive oxygen species, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1, glutathione peroxidase 4, review” in Chinese and English. A total of 70 articles were finally included according to the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Ferroptosis is significantly different from necrosis, apoptosis and autophagy. In terms of cell morphology and function, it does not have the morphological characteristics of typical necrosis, nor does it have the characteristics of traditional apoptosis, such as cell contraction, chromatin condensation, the formation of apoptotic bodies and the disintegration of cytoskeleton. Contrary to autophagy, ferroptosis does not form a classical closed bilayer membrane structure (autophagic vacuole). Morphologically, ferroptosis is mainly manifested by obvious contraction of mitochondria, increased membrane density, and reduction or disappearance of mitochondrial cristae, which are different from other cell death modes. Iron overload can destroy bone homeostasis by significantly inhibiting osteogenic differentiation and stimulating osteoclast formation, leading to osteoporosis. Iron overload interferes with the differentiation of stem cells to osteoblasts, leading to a weakened osteoblast function and further imbalance of bone metabolism in the body, which eventually leads to osteoporosis. Stimulated by iron overload, osteoclast bone resorption is enhanced and bone loss exceeds new bone formation. Iron chelators have been proved to have osteoprotective effects by inhibiting osteoclast activity and stimulating osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. Its potential mechanism is related to inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and promoting osteoblast differentiation. Antioxidants can prevent reactive oxygen species production and inhibit bone absorption, thus improving bone metabolism and effectively preventing osteoporosis.

Key words: ferroptosis, osteoporosis, osteoblast, osteoclast, iron chelator, reactive oxygen species, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase-1, glutathione peroxidase 4, review

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