Ferroptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review for Biomarker Research

Biomarker Research is a distinguished journal that has previously published exceptional papers. Ferroptosis is a crucial area of cancer research that still has many unanswered questions. We have noticed that your esteemed journal, including XX, has published reviews on ferroptosis in multiple tumors, such as 'The role of ferroptosis in lung cancer' and 'Targeting ferroptosis in breast cancer'. However, we have yet to see a review on ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we have compiled recent research on ferroptosis in liver cancer and wish to publish it in Biomarker Research. Our intention is to encourage more researchers to explore the study of ferroptosis in HCC.

HCC is a prevalent malignant tumor with a complex survival mechanism and drug resistance, resulting in high cancer-related mortality worldwide. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that is characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Cancer cells rely on their robust antioxidant capacity to elude iron toxicity. Recent studies have suggested that targeting ferroptosis may be an effective strategy to prevent HCC proliferation and invasion. Although immunotherapy has made some progress in remodeling the immune microenvironment, it has not completely inhibited HCC growth, invasion, and drug resistance. Moreover, ferroptosis is widely observed in the formation of the HCC immune microenvironment and mediates the response of many targeted drugs and immunotherapy. Clarifying the role of ferroptosis in these intricate processes is anticipated to provide a new possibility for HCC treatment. In this review, we outline the mechanisms by which HCC develops invasiveness and drug resistance through escaping iron death and present a comprehensive overview of ferroptosis in different cell types in the HCC immune microenvironment. We believe that this paper is well-suited for publication in 'Biomarker Research.'

Thank you for considering our manuscript, and we eagerly await feedback from the reviewers. If you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below.