SLC40A1 and cancer: In recent years, various studies have suggested that enhanced iron uptake in CSCs promotes self-renewal, increases metabolic plasticity, and enhances resistance to oxidative stress, highlighting the importance of iron regulatory mechanisms in maintaining cancer stemness.6 In normal cells, iron homeostasis is epigenetically regulated by the iron-responsive element/iron-regulatory protein (IRE/IRP) system, which balances iron uptake via the transferrin receptor (TfR) and iron efflux via ferroportin (FPN).34 Additional regulatory mechanisms are thought to contribute to iron homeostasis in CSCs.