Emerging roles of p53 in ferroptosis and its potential application

p53 is a widely recognized tumor suppressor. Recent studies show that its classical functions such as inducing apoptosis and arresting cell cycle cannot be the essential role in explaining its effects on tumors properly. Instead, its role as a cell metabolism regulator is more important to suppress tumor development. Ferroptosis is a unique cell death form and is associated with many diseases, such as tumors, neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic diseases. The sensitivity of cells to ferroptosis is closely related to the intracellular metabolic state, suggesting that induction or inhibition of ferroptosis may be significant ways in which p53 plays a role in tumor pathology. Meanwhile, the potential mechanism of p53 involved in neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic diseases should also be noticed. Therefore, our study aims to review the latest development in theoretical and practical knowledge of p53's role in ferroptosis, thus widening the understanding of the tumor suppression mechanism, finding new therapeutic targets for tumors that are resistant to chemotherapy and providing new insights into the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic diseases.