The Chemical Biology of Ferroptosis in the Central Nervous System
Over the past fifty years, thanatology has expanded to encompass the study of how individual cells die, both appropriately and inappropriately, in response to various physiological and pathological stimuli. Through extensive research, morphological and biochemical criteria have been established to clarify the definitions of distinct types of cell death and the mechanisms that trigger them. Among these, ferroptosis has emerged as a unique form of oxidative stress-induced cell death, with relevance to a wide range of diseases, including traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, renal ischemia, and heat stress in plants. In this review, I highlight key studies that contributed to the recognition of ferroptosis in the nervous system and explore how chemical and biological tools have been pivotal in identifying the events necessary for its execution. Finally, I discuss the growing potential of antiferroptotic agents as Adaptaquin therapeutic options for neurological disorders.