Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (17): 4446-4456.doi: 10.12307/2026.177

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Mechanisms underlying mitophagy, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, and disulfidptosis in Parkinson’s disease

Yu Le1, Nan Songhua1, Shi Zijian1, He Qiqi1, Li Zhenjia1, Cui Yinglin2   

  1. 1Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China; 2Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
  • Received:2025-06-27 Accepted:2025-08-28 Online:2026-06-18 Published:2025-12-03
  • Contact: Cui Yinglin, Chief physician, Doctoral supervisor, Henan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
  • About author:Yu Le, MS, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81573919 (to CYL); Special Research Project on Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. GZY-KJS-2021-017 (to CYL); Henan Province Key Research and Development Special Project, No. 221111310500 (to CYL); Henan Provincial Science and Technology Key Projects, Nos. 252102311014, 252102310031, and 242102311066 (to CYL)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As a typical representative of neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease manifests with an intricate web of pathogenic attributes. In the field of programmed cell death, several novel molecular mechanisms have been unveiled in recent years, including but not limited to mitochondrial selective autophagy, iron-dependent cell death, copper ion-mediated apoptosis, and cell damage patterns caused by aberrant disulfide bonds. Studies have indicated that these pathological changes not only contribute to the development of typical clinical symptoms in Parkinson’s disease but also exhibit significant correlations with disease progression. From this, it becomes apparent through scholarly works that these mechanisms exert pivotal roles in neuronal dysfunction manifestation. However, uncharted scientific inquiries regarding detailed interactions at the molecular level among these interconnected pathways need to be solved urgently.
OBJECTIVE: To review the molecular mechanisms of novel forms of programmed cell death (mitophagy, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, and disulfidptosis) and the roles of their interactions and synergistic effects in Parkinson’s disease, and to explore the potential impact and therapeutic prospects of these novel forms of programmed cell death in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.
METHODS: The first author conducted a computer-based search of literature indexed in the CNKI and PubMed databases from 2015 to 2025 using the keywords of “Parkinson’s disease, mitophagy, ferroptosis, disulfidptosis, cuproptosis, apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis” in Chinese and English, respectively. Literature that is inconsistent with the research content, outdated, or duplicative was excluded. A total of 1 368 relevant articles were retrieved, and 87 articles were ultimately included in the review analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The new types of programmed cell death, including mitophagy, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, and disulfidptosis, are essential regulatory pathways for maintaining normal cellular renewal and homeostasis, making them a currently hot research area in life sciences. (2) Mitophagy is a selective autophagic process that can clear damaged mitochondria, thereby maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis in neuronal cells during Parkinson’s disease, and playing a crucial role in regulating neuronal health and function. (3) Ferroptosis is a novel form of programmed cell death characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, which can regulate Parkinson’s disease through various pathways, including cystine/glutamate, iron metabolism, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. (4) Cuproptosis, as a newly discovered mode of cell death, involves the role of copper chelators and heat shock proteins in regulating α-synuclein aggregation and cell survival, potentially providing new targets for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. (5) Disulfidptosis is associated with the aggregation of α-synuclein, which is considered an important feature of Parkinson’s disease. Its specific role in Parkinson’s disease requires further research. (6) The interactive and synergistic effects of various cell death mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease (such as Fe/Cu synergistic regulation of Parkinson’s disease) hold great potential for the future.


Key words: Parkinson’s disease, mitophagy, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, disulfidptosis, cell death 

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