New Study Sheds Light on Disulfidptosis, a Previously Unknown Form of Cell Death

A study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has identified disulfidptosis, a previously unknown form of cell death. This form of cell death is triggered when cells with high levels of the SLC7A11 protein are subjected to glucose starvation. Disulfidptosis is different from other known cell death mechanisms because it relates to the actin cytoskeleton, a cell structure vital for maintaining cell shape and survival. The study explains that in glucose-starved SLC7A11-high cancer cells, the large number of accumulated disulfide molecules cause aberrant disulfide bonding among actin cytoskeleton proteins, interfering with their organization and ultimately leading to actin network collapse and cell death. It is hoped that this finding will inspire disulfidptosis-inducing treatments for cancers that have evaded other therapies and are resistant to apoptosis.