Ferroptosis and traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide health problem contributing to significant economic burden. TBI is difficult to treat partly due to incomplete understanding of pathophysiology. Ferroptosis is a type of iron-dependent programmed cell death which has gained increasing attention due to its possible role in TBI. Current studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis is related to the pathology of TBI, and inhibition of ferroptosis may improve long term outcomes of TBI. Therefore, clarification of the exact association between ferroptosis and traumatic brain injury is necessary and may provide new targets for treatment. This review describes (1) the ferroptosis pathways following traumatic brain injury, (2) the role of ferroptosis during the chronic phase of traumatic brain injury, and (3) potential therapies targeting the ferroptosis pathways.