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Research progress on the regulation of ferroptosis by non-coding RNAs in esophageal squamous cell cancer

WANG Jia-Min^1,2,3, LIU Pan⁴, ZHU Rui⁴, SU Dan^1,4,*

¹School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China；²Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China；³University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China；⁴Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China

Abstract

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent malignancy of the digestive tract that poses a significant threat to human health, with an incidence rate that continues to rise globally. Increasing research highlights the crucial role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), in regulating ferroptosis and contributing to the malignant progression of ESCC. These ncRNAs influence the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion capabilities of ESCC cells by modulating iron metabolism and redox balance. miRNAs can regulate cellular iron accumulation and oxidative stress by targeting ferroptosis-related genes; lncRNAs may indirectly affect iron metabolic pathways by competitively binding to miRNAs; circRNAs, through a sponge effect, may regulate the activity of miRNAs. This review systematically summarizes the mechanisms of ncRNAs-mediated regulation of ferroptosis in ESCC, focusing on molecular mechanisms, regulatory networks, and their specific roles in the ferroptosis process. Additionally, the potential of ncRNAs in ESCC diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and therapeutic intervention is discussed, aiming to provide new insights and targets for ferroptosis-based tumor therapy.

Key words: esophageal squamous cell cancer; non-coding RNAs; ferroptosis; molecular mechanisms

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 苏丹　　E-mail:

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2024.0078

Citing This Article：

WANG Jia-Min, LIU Pan, ZHU Rui, SU Dan. Research progress on the regulation of ferroptosis by non-coding RNAs in esophageal squamous cell cancer. Acta Physiol Sin 2025; 77 (3): 563-572 (in Chinese with English abstract).