{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T11:54:20Z","timestamp":1769946860949,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,13]],"date-time":"2025-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755043200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell Dev. Biol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. It is often diagnosed at advanced stages, which limits treatment options. Although Donafenib is a standard therapy for advanced HCC, its effectiveness is often reduced by treatment failures. Alisertib, an Aurora-A kinase inhibitor, shows promise in enhancing the cytotoxic effects of Donafenib. This study investigates the combined therapeutic effects of these two agents.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Synergistic cytotoxicity was assessed via CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Ferroptosis activation was quantified through flow cytometry, lipid peroxidation, and measurements of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular Fe<jats:sup>2+<\/jats:sup>, and GSH\/GSSG. Mechanistic studies involved immunofluorescence for NF-\u03baB\/p65 localization, along with Western blotting, qPCR, and dual-luciferase reporter assays to evaluate protein and gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments were performed to analyze the binding of NF-\u03baB\/p65 to its endogenous promoters. <jats:italic>In vivo<\/jats:italic> xenografts were established to evaluate the antitumor efficacy and potential side effects of the combination treatment, supported by histological and immunohistochemical analyses.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Optimal synergistic concentrations (Alisertib 2.5 \u00b5M + Donafenib 10 \u00b5M for HCCLM3; 5 \u00b5M for Huh7) induced profound ferroptotic cascades, evidenced by elevated ROS, lipid peroxides, and Fe<jats:sup>2+<\/jats:sup> accumulation concurrent with GSH depletion. The co-treatment potently inhibited p65 nuclear translocation while stabilizing I\u03baB\u03b1, thereby suppressing NRF2-mediated antioxidant transcription. Xenograft models demonstrated marked tumor volume reduction with preserved organ architecture and hematological parameters, confirming clinical translatability.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Alisertib is identified as a potent enhancer of Donafenib-induced ferroptosis through inhibition of the NF-\u03baB\/NRF2 pathway. This suggests a novel combinatorial strategy that targets ferroptosis through NF-\u03baB inhibition. Further research is needed to translate these promising results into clinical practice.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2025.1637767","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,13]],"date-time":"2025-08-13T05:32:58Z","timestamp":1755063178000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Cooperative targeting of NF-\u03baB enhances ferroptosis-driven HCC therapy with Alisertib and Donafenib"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Qiong","family":"Zhou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rui","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1038\/s41416-022-01998-x","article-title":"Ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms and targeted therapy","volume":"128","author":"Ajoolabady","year":"2023","journal-title":"Br. 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