Erdem M. Terzi1,2 and Richard Possemato1,2 1Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA 2Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, New York 10016, USA Correspondence: Richard.Possematonyulangone.org; Erdem.Terzinyulangone.org

Cells require micronutrients for numerous basic functions. Among these, iron, copper, and selenium are particularly critical for redox metabolism, and their importance is heightened during oncogene-driven perturbations in cancer. In this review, which particularly focuses on iron, we describe how these micronutrients are carefully chaperoned about the body and made available to tissues, a process that is designed to limit the toxicity of free iron and copper or by-products of selenium metabolism. We delineate perturbations in iron metabolism and iron-dependent proteins that are observed in cancer, and describe the current approaches being used to target iron metabolism and iron-dependent processes.