Targeting Intrinsic and Extrinsic Pathways of Ferroptosis: A Novel Anticancer Strategy of Curcumin

Background The turmeric rhizome yields a medicinal compound called curcumin. Curcumin’s anticancer methods mostly involve blocking cell invasion and proliferation, controlling gene expression, preventing angiogenesis, triggering apoptosis, and inducing ferroptosis. A brand-new nonapoptotic kind of planned cell death is called ferroptosis. Ferroptosis can be initiated through two major pathways: the extrinsic or transporter-dependent pathway, and the intrinsic or enzyme-regulated pathway. It is unknown, therefore, how curcumin and its derivatives prevent cancer by controlling ferroptosis. Purpose Through this review, we concentrate on the possible anticancer mechanisms of curcumin by means of its effect on ferroptosis; the regulation of iron metabolism, the synthesis of reactive oxygen species, and the targeting of antioxidant pathways represent a few of these processes. Methodology Retrieve English literature of curcumin and its derivatives in the treatment of tumor by ferroptosis from databases such as Web of Science, etc. Conclusion This review provides a rationale for the clinical use of curcumin and its derivatives as anticancer agents.