{
  "id": 6779737,
  "title": "Nerve injury-induced protein 2 preserves lysosomal membrane integrity to suppress ferroptosis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/nerve-injury-induced-protein-2-preserves-lysosomal-membrane-integrity",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-11T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "eLife",
    "slug": "elife",
    "url": "https://elifesciences.org/articles/110919"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study reveals that Nerve Injury-Induced Protein 2 (NINJ2) plays a crucial role in maintaining lysosome membrane integrity, thereby protecting cells from ferroptosis. NINJ2 is a protein that localizes to lysosomes and interacts with LAMP1, a protein that acts as an anchor for lysosome membranes and detects when they are under stress.\n\nWhen NINJ2 is lost or diminished, lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) increases, leading to the release of lysosomal contents, including labile iron, into the cytosol. This results in an accumulation of labile iron within cells and a decrease in the expression of ferritins, the proteins responsible for storing iron intracellularly.\n\nThe study found that loss of NINJ2 promotes the degradation of ferritin's ferritin T (FTH) component within lysosomes. This degradation process can be reversed by reducing LAMP1 levels. Additionally, the researchers observed that loss of NINJ2 makes cells more susceptible to ferroptosis induced by RSL3 and Erastin, chemicals known to trigger ferroptosis.\n\nThese findings suggest that NINJ2 plays a previously unrecognized role in maintaining lysosome homeostasis and preventing ferroptosis. The discovery could potentially lead to new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment, particularly in cancers with high iron levels, as NINJ2 and ferritins are often overexpressed in such tumors.",
  "summary": "Nerve injury-induced protein 1 (NINJ1), a cell adhesion molecule, is oligomerized during lytic cell death and mediates plasma membrane rupture to release large intracellular molecules that propagate the inflammatory response. We and others previously showed that NINJ2, a close relative of NINJ1, does not promote plasma membrane rupture to spread inflammation. Here, we identify that NINJ2 is…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}