Emerging roles of ferroptosis in modulating the immune landscape of glial tumours

The brain offers a unique environment for cancer, with limited access to nutrients and highly regulated immune surveillance. Here we explore the role of ferroptosis, a form of metabolically regulated cell death driven by iron-mediated lipid peroxidation, in shaping immune-cell composition and function in glial tumours. We review the complex metabolic crosstalk between cell populations regulating ferroptosis in the glioma milieu. Ferroptosis induces polarization of resident microglia and controls the cytotoxic roles of CD8⁺ T cells and the immunosuppressive effects of regulatory T cells. We discuss recently uncovered mechanisms of ferroptosis-driven immune evasion and the impact on tumour evolution. Additionally, we analyse mechanisms of synergy in combinations incorporating ferroptosis-inducing agents and immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive cell therapies, which aim to induce effective immune responses and durable control in gliomas.