Molecular mechanism and natural drug screening for ferroptosis-targeted therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

• Identified 17 common targets between ferroptosis and rheumatoid arthritis, with EGFR, AR, MAPK8, CDKN1A, and JUN as core targets. • GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed involvement of DNA binding and SMAD2/3 signaling pathways in ferroptosis-mediated RA treatment. • Natural compounds progesterone, estradiol, and quercetin showed strong molecular docking with core targets, suggesting potential therapeutic agents. • Bioinformatics approach provides a novel strategy for drug discovery in RA by targeting ferroptosis.