Cited by 151Iron Metabolism and DisordersFerroptosis and cancer prognosisErythropoietin and Anemia Treatment

Iron in the Tumor Microenvironment-Connecting the Dots

Open access
Pfeifhofer-Obermair, Christa, Tymoszuk, Piotr, Petzer, Verena, Weiss, Günter, Nairz, Manfred·2018·Frontiers in Oncology

Abstract

Iron metabolism and tumor biology are intimately linked. Iron facilitates the production of oxygen radicals, which may either result in iron-induced cell death, ferroptosis, or contribute to mutagenicity and malignant transformation. Once transformed, malignant cells require high amounts of iron for proliferation. In addition, iron has multiple regulatory effects on the immune system, thus affecting tumor surveillance by immune cells. For these reasons, inconsiderate iron supplementation in cancer patients has the potential of worsening disease course and outcome. On the other hand, chronic immune activation in the setting of malignancy alters systemic iron homeostasis and directs iron fluxes into myeloid cells. While this response aims at withdrawing iron from tumor cells, it may impair the effector functions of tumor-associated macrophages and will result in iron-restricted erythropoiesis and the development of anemia, subsequently. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the interconnections of iron homeostasis with cancer biology, discusses current clinical controversies in the treatment of anemia of cancer and focuses on the potential roles of iron in the solid tumor microenvironment, also speculating on yet unknown molecular mechanisms.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fonc.2018.00549

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  • Iron can be detrimental by contributing to free radical formation, which may provoke oxidative stress and DNA damage.

    “On the other hand, iron may be detrimental due to its redox abilities, thereby contributing to free radical formation, which in turn may provoke oxidative stress and DNA damage.”
  • Iron-induced DNA damage and protein/lipid modifications may cause a more aggressive tumor cell behavior.

    “In turn, this may cause a more aggressive tumor cell behavior [1,2,3].”

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Authors
Pfeifhofer-Obermair, C., Tymoszuk, P., Petzer, V., Weiss, G., & Nairz, M.
Affiliations
Innsbruck Medical University (AT)
Corresponding author
Nairz, Manfred
Venue
Frontiers in Oncology
Published
2018-11-26
Volume
8
Pages
549-549
ISSN
2234-943X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2902378153
Cited by
151
References
423
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 9
FWCI
2.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Oncology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Austrian Science Fund
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Erythropoietin and Anemia Treatment
Keywords
iron metabolism, tumor microenvironment, iron homeostasis, ferroptosis, reactive oxygen species, malignant transformation, antitumor immunity, myeloid cells, tumor-associated macrophages, iron-restricted erythropoiesis, cancer-related anemia, chronic immune activation

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