Wei Zhang, Heng He, Shaofeng Chen, Sujie Xie, Xirui Tong, Xinran Ding, Yixu Li, Shuyuan Xian, Runzhi Huang, Zhaofan Xia, Shizhao Ji
Diabetic wounds remain a formidable clinical challenge due to their delayed healing, frequent infections, and high recurrence rates. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, may hinder diabetic wound repair through multifaceted mechanisms. This review elucidates the regulatory pathways of ferroptosis, focusing on its disruptive effects on critical reparative cells (macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and keratinocytes) and bacterial infections in the wound microenvironment. We further systematically evaluate the therapeutic potential of ferroptosis-targeting agents in promoting diabetic wound healing, thereby providing a theoretical framework for developing precision interventions against ferroptosis.