Brent Stockwell

Brent Stockwell coined the term ferroptosis in 2012 and has defined the molecular mechanisms of this iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by lipid peroxide accumulation. His laboratory discovered that small molecules erastin (system xCT inhibitor) and RSL3 (GPX4 inhibitor) induce ferroptosis in cancer cells, establishing the pharmacological basis for ferroptosis induction as a cancer therapeutic strategy. He identified GPX4 as the master regulator of ferroptosis, making it a central cancer drug target. His work created the entire field of ferroptosis cancer therapy.