Institutional development · Research, innovation and assessment · Japan
Kyoto University team links lysosomal iron to senescent cell traits and ferroptosis resistance
Researchers at Kyoto University report that senescent cells store reactive ferrous iron in lysosomes, which promotes ageing-related traits while cholesterol and lipid sequestration help the cells avoid iron-dependent death.
Why it matters: Researchers studying cellular ageing and age-related disease gain a proposed mechanism linking lysosomal iron storage to senescent cell traits and ferroptosis resistance.
Kyoto University said a group led by senior lecturer Izumi Yanatori of the Graduate School of Medicine and programme-specific professor Kazuhiro Iwai found that senescent cells accumulate reactive ferrous iron (Fe2+) in lysosomes, which promotes traits such as production of inflammatory factors.
According to the university, the team found that cholesterol building up in lysosomes shields their membranes from iron damage, and that polyunsaturated fatty acids are isolated in lipid droplets, giving the cells resistance to ferroptosis, a form of iron-dependent cell death.
The university reported that suppressing Fe2+ accumulation in lysosomes caused senescent cell traits to almost disappear.
The findings were published online in The EMBO Journal on 2 November 2026.
Editor’s view
Scott James, Research and Innovation Editor
For researchers working on ageing, the study, published online on 2 November, ties lysosomal Fe2+ storage directly to senescent cell traits; Iwai said he hopes the results will lead to further ageing research and new methods of controlling age-related diseases.
