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  4. Vol 7, Issue 2, 2025

Research Progress on the Regulation of Ferroptosis by Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Intervention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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DOI: 10.23977/medcm.2025.070201 | Downloads: 9 | Views: 359

Author(s)

Yuanrong Shi 1, Xiaofeng Zhai 2

Affiliation(s)

1 Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Middle Section of Century Avenue, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, China
2 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Xiangyin Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China

Corresponding Author

Xiaofeng Zhai

ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular Carcinoma is a common malignant tumour in China, with high morbidity and mortality rates, seriously threatening people's lives and health. Traditional treatments for liver cancer have poor efficacy, high toxicity and side effects, drug resistance and easy recurrence. Traditional Chinese medicine, however, has the advantages of multiple pathways and low side effects because it is derived from natural products. Ferroptosis, as a new type of cell death, can effectively inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and significantly improve the resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma patients to chemotherapeutic drugs and their sensitivity to radiotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that the active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine can induce the occurrence of ferroptosis and inhibit the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through lipid peroxidation, iron metabolism, and Xc--GSH-GPX4 system in order to exert anti-hepatocellular carcinoma efficacy. This paper summarises the relationship between the occurrence of ferroptosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and discusses the mechanism of targeting and regulating the ferroptosis of TCM extracts against hepatocellular carcinoma, with a view to providing research ideas and theoretical basis for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by traditional Chinese medicine.

KEYWORDS

Hepatocellular carcinoma, Ferroptosis, Medicinal herb, Mechanism

CITE THIS PAPER

Yuanrong Shi, Xiaofeng Zhai, Research progress on the regulation of Ferroptosis by traditional Chinese medicine in the intervention of hepatocellular carcinoma. MEDS Chinese Medicine (2025) Vol. 7: 1-5. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/medcm.2025.070201.

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