Focus on the role of calcium signaling in ferroptosis: a potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis-induced acute lung injury

Abstract

By engaging in redox processes, ferroptosis plays a crucial role in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Although iron stimulates calcium signaling through the stimulation of redox-sensitive calcium pathways, the function of calcium signals in the physiological process of ferroptosis in septic ALI remains unidentified. Iron homeostasis disequilibrium in ferroptosis is frequently accompanied by aberrant calcium signaling. Intracellular calcium overflow can be a symptom of dysregulation of the cellular redox state, which is characterized by iron overload during the early phase of ferroptosis. This can lead to disruptions in calcium homeostasis and calcium signaling. The mechanisms controlling iron homeostasis and ferroptosis are reviewed here, along with their significance in sepsis-induced acute lung injury, and the potential role of calcium signaling in these processes is clarified. We propose that the development of septic acute lung injury is a combined process involving the bidirectional interaction between iron homeostasis and calcium signaling. Our goal is to raise awareness about the pathophysiology of sepsis-induced acute lung injury and investigate the relationship between these mechanisms and ferroptosis. We also aimed to develop calcium-antagonistic therapies that target ferroptosis in septic ALI and improve the quality of survival for patients suffering from acute lung injury.