The Role of Iron Chelation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Year 2025, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 116 - 132, 13.12.2025

Mesut Akyüz , Elanur Aydın Karataş

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17786796

Abstract

Prostate cancer remains a significant clinical challenge despite advances in current therapeutic modalities, with its progression to advanced stages closely associated with profound metabolic reprogramming, including disrupted iron homeostasis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that prostate cancer cells exhibit an “iron addiction,” characterized by enhanced expression of iron import proteins and suppression of iron export pathways, thereby fulfilling their elevated proliferative and metabolic requirements. Iron chelation therapy has consequently gained attention as a promising approach to target these iron-dependent processes by limiting intracellular iron availability, leading to the disruption of essential enzymes, signaling pathways, and redox balance. This review summarizes the mechanistic rationale, preclinical findings, and clinical hurdles related to the application of iron chelators in prostate cancer treatment. Furthermore, novel chelating agents and combination strategies are highlighted, with a focus on addressing limitations encountered in early clinical trials. Collectively, current evidence suggests that targeting iron metabolism holds considerable potential as a complementary strategy to enhance the efficacy of conventional therapies in prostate cancer management.

Keywords

Prostate cancer , Iron metabolism , Iron chelation therapy , Metabolic reprogramming

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