The recognition of distinct regulated cell death pathways presents tantalizing possibilities for gaining control over life and death decisions made by cells in order to prevent diseases and to aid in tissue regeneration.

While apoptosis has been the center of attention for decades, research into the cell death mechanisms has unearthed regulatory processes and signaling pathways for novel, regulated necrotic cell death routines.

Among these, ferroptosis stands out as it emerges to be the root cause for a myriad of diseases and in particular neurodegeneration. Ferroptosis is a metabolic form of cell death and is marked by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and rupturing of cellular membranes.

Since the ferroptosis pathway offers several tractable nodes for pharmacological intervention, the identification and preclinical development of ferroptosis modulating drugs harbor the great potential to be developed as powerful drugs to combat insofar incurable diseases including dementia and other degenerative diseases.

In the #CNBR_Open Seminar with Dr. Marcus Conrad we will discuss the basic principles of ferroptosis and learn how to discover new players and cellular processes determining the cell's sensitivity towards ferroptosis with the ultimate goal to develop novel and targeted therapies to prevent ferroptosis-related diseases.