Rare fat molecule discovered that helps drive cell death

2024-02-15 15:39:43

Researchers at Columbia University (United States) have discovered that a rare type of lipid is a key factor of ferroptosis, a form of cell death discovered by Columbia professor Brent Stockwell. The findings provide new details about how cells die during ferroptosis and they could improve understanding on how to stop ferroptosis in contexts where it occurs harmfully (in neurodegenerative diseases, for example) or induce it in contexts where it could be useful, such as using it to kill dangerous cancer cells.

The new research found that a rare type of lipid with two tails polyunsaturated fatty acylcalled diPUFA phospholipid, was present in a variety of contexts where ferroptosis occurred, including in aged brains and brain tissue affected by Huntington’s disease.

The finding indicates that the lipid is effective in promoting ferroptosis. The research was carried out by professors from the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Chemistry and the Irving Medical Center of Columbia University (United States). Stockwell first discovered ferroptosis in 2012, when he discovered that certain cells were dying because their lipid layers collapsed, an unusual form of cell death that differs from the more common type, which begins when the cell blebs on its outer surface.

Call for more research

Since that discovery, researchers have continued investigating ferroptosis and they have discovered that it can happen in form nnatural in aged cells, in pathological contexts, and that can be induced to treat diseases.

Another paper published with several co-authors found that a gene called PHLDA2 can sometimes promote ferroptosis by attacking a different lipid, and that this gene can block the formation of some tumors. Together, these papers show that specific lipids promote ferroptosis, making it important to define the driving lipids in specific cancers.

Thus, the discovery that these diPUFA lipids are important drivers of ferroptosis deepens our understanding of this form of cell death and the role of these lipids in controlling the homeostasis of a cell in general. Take advantage of these lipids may eventually help us identify where ferroptosis has occurred and deliberately manipulate them to induce cell death or stop it. This may begin to give us understanding and the power to control cell death.