Review Article

Epigenetic regulation of iron metabolism and ferroptosis in Parkinson’s disease: Identifying novel epigenetic targets

Xiao-die Gao1, Jian-e Ding1, Jun-xia Xie2, Hua-min Xu1,2
1 Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Brain Diseases and State Key Disciplines: Physiology, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
2 Institute of Brain Science and Disease, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Correspondence to: Jun-xia Xie: jxiaxie@public.qd.sd.cn, Hua-min Xu: huaminxu@qdu.edu.cn,
DOI: 10.1038/s41401-025-01499-6
Received: 28 October 2024
Accepted: 28 January 2025
Advance online: 11 March 2025

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, and emerging evidence has shown that iron deposition, ferroptosis and epigenetic modifications are implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. However, the interplay among these factors in PD has not been fully understood. In this review, we provide an overview of the current research progress on iron metabolism, ferroptosis and epigenetic alterations associated with PD. Furthermore, we present new frontiers concerning various epigenetic modifications related to iron metabolism and ferroptosis that might contribute to the pathology of PD. Notably, epigenetic modifications of iron metabolism and ferroptosis as both diagnostic and therapeutic targets in PD have been discussed. This opens new avenues for the regulation of iron homeostasis and ferroptosis in PD from epigenetic perspectives, and provides evidence for their potential implications in the diagnosis and treatment of PD.
Keywords: epigenetics; Parkinson’s disease; ferroptosis; DNA methylation; histone modifications; miRNA

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