[NCTS Physics Research Highlights] Chia-Chou Wu & Sheng-hong Chen 'Emergence of large-scale cell death through ferroptotic trigger waves', Nature 631, 654-662 (2024)

• 2024-10-04
• Chen, Jhan Yu 陳詹喻
• Chemical physics, physical chemistry, nanoscience and complex systems Interdisciplinary Research

Emergence of large-scale cell death through ferroptotic trigger waves
大規模細胞死亡透過鐵死亡觸發波湧現

Hannah K. C. Co, Chia-Chou Wu*, Yi-Chen Lee & Sheng-hong Chen*
Nature 631, 654-662 (2024)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07623-6

We show that ferroptosis, an iron- and lipid-peroxidation-dependent cell death, propagates across human cells over long distances (≥5 mm) at constant speeds (~5.5 μm min−1) via reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger waves. ROS feedback loops control wave progression. Ferroptotic stress activates these loops, creating bistable cellular redox systems that enable ROS propagation. We demonstrate ferroptosis's role in embryonic avian limb muscle remodeling, suggesting its function in tissue sculpting during embryogenesis. These findings reveal ferroptosis's importance in coordinating large-scale cell death, offering insights into embryonic development and human pathologies.

我們證明鐵死亡（一種依賴鐵和脂質過氧化的細胞死亡形式）可通過活性氧（ROS）觸發波在人類細胞間長距離（≥5公釐）以恆定速度（約5.5微米/分鐘）傳播。活性氧反饋迴路控制波的傳播。鐵死亡應激激活這些迴路，創造了雙穩態細胞氧化還原系統，從而促進活性氧傳播。我們展示了鐵死亡在鳥類胚胎肢體肌肉重塑中的作用，表明其在胚胎發生過程中具有塑造組織的功能。這些發現揭示了鐵死亡在協調大規模細胞死亡中的重要性，為研究胚胎發育和人類病理學提供了新視角。