Nature Reviews Immunology, Published online: 10 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41577-026-01337-8Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, is emerging as a key regulator of T cell biology. This Review examines how iron, lipid and redox pathways shape T cell development, function and survival, and explores how manipulating ferroptosis could enhance cancer immunotherapy, improve adoptive cell therapies, and enable more precise immune interventions.

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The mitochondrial–peroxisomal fission adaptor MFF is identified as a selective pro-ferroptotic mediator, and the newly developed MFF–SPARK sensor enables high-content screening of ferroptosis-sensitizing compounds and the discovery of upstream regulators of MFF.