Iron is an essential nutrient that facilitates cell proliferation and growth. However, iron also has the capacity to engage in redox cycling and free radical formation. Therefore, iron can contribute to both tumour initiation and tumour growth; recent work has also shown that iron has a role in the tumour microenvironment and in metastasis. Pathways of iron acquisition, efflux, storage and regulation are all perturbed in cancer, suggesting that reprogramming of iron metabolism is a central aspect of tumour cell survival. Signalling through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and WNT pathways may contribute to altered iron metabolism in cancer. Targeting iron metabolic pathways may provide new tools for cancer prognosis and therapy.

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Iron and cancer: more ore to be mined

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases

Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress response in Friedreich's ataxia

The proteasomal system.

Reversible Inactivation of HIF-1 Prolyl Hydroxylases Allows Cell Metabolism to Control Basal HIF-1

Friedreich ataxia is an inherited disorder caused by decreased expression of frataxin protein. Increasing evidence suggests that this protein might detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) by an unknown mechanism. Here we demonstrate that transgenic overexpression of human frataxin increases cellular antioxidant defense via activation of glutathione peroxidase and elevation of reduced thiols, thereby reducing the incidence of malignant transformation induced by ROS, as observed by soft agar assays and tumour formation in nude mice. These findings expand the understanding of antioxidant properties of frataxin, and tentatively suggest a role in the early induction of cancer.

Christoph Richter

Papers

Frataxin promotes antioxidant defense in a thiol-dependent manner resulting in diminished malignant transformation in vitro