1164-Spermine Suppressing Ferroptosis

Paper Talk · Jun 21, 2026 · 22m

This research identifies spermine as a natural iron chelator that serves as a critical internal defense against ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death. Through metabolic profiling of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), scientists discovered that cancer cells exploit an alternative ALDH18A1-mediated pathway to synthesize spermine from glutamine, thereby neutralizing labile iron and preventing lipid peroxidation. While spermine catabolism can produce pro-oxidant byproducts, the metabolite itself directly binds to ferrous iron (Fe2+) to stop the catalytic reactions that drive cellular…