From molecular crosstalk to precision therapy: targeting ferroptosis and cuproptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high incidence and poor prognosis, with conventional therapies often resulting in significant toxicity and treatment resistance.
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Ferroptosis and cuproptosis are novel metal ion-dependent programmed cell death modalities that play critical roles in OSCC metabolism and immune evasion.
3

Ferroptosis involves iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and is characterized by distinct mitochondrial changes, differing from other forms of cell death.
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The GSH-GPX4 antioxidant axis is crucial in preventing ferroptosis, while parallel pathways like the GCH1/BH4/DHFR axis also regulate this process.
5

Emerging combination strategies targeting ferroptosis and cuproptosis may enhance therapeutic efficacy in OSCC, addressing current treatment limitations.

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