Hypoxia Confers Ferroptosis Resistance in Glioma Cells via HIF-1α/SREBP1-Mediated Regulation of Lipid Metabolism.

Abstract

Glioma represents one of the most aggressive tumors in the central nervous system, with clinical management facing significant challenges including high recurrence rates and therapeutic resistance. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, holds potential for glioma treatment, yet tumor cells frequently develop evasion mechanisms. This study elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which hypoxic microenvironment confers ferroptosis resistance in glioma cells, focusing on the pivotal role of the HIF-1α/SREBP1 signaling axis and its downstream effectors FASN and SCD1. Our experimental results demonstrate that hypoxic conditions significantly upregulate HIF-1α expression and confer resistance to RSL3-induced ferroptosis. Mechanistic studies reveal that HIF-1α promotes SREBP1 activation, which subsequently upregulates FASN and SCD1 expression to suppress lipid peroxidation.Furthermore, the HIF-1α-specific inhibitor PX-478 effectively reverses hypoxia-induced ferroptosis resistance and significantly enhances tumor cell sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers. In vivo experiments confirm the potent antitumor effects of PX-478 combined with RSL3. This study systematically elucidates the role of the HIF-1α-SREBP1-FASN/SCD1 signaling axis in ferroptosis regulation in glioma, providing important theoretical foundations and experimental support for developing HIF-1α-targeted ferroptosis therapies.