Iron-dependent cell death as executioner of cancer stem cells

This commentary highlights the findings by Mai, et al. that ironomycin, derivatives of salinomycin, exhibited more potent and selective therapeutic activity against breast cancer stem cells by accumulating and sequestering iron in lysosome, followed by an iron-mediated lysosomal production of reactive oxygen species and an iron-dependent cell death. These unprecedented findings identified iron homeostasis and iron-mediated processes as potentially druggable in the context of cancer stem cells.