Inhibiting the hepcidin inhibitor for treatment of iron overload

摘要

In genetic hemochromatosis and in beta-thalassemia, iron overload is the primary cause of liver cirrhosis, diabetes, heart failure, and other clinical complications, including liver cancer. In both conditions iron overload is due to inappropriately low levels of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, which controls iron absorption from the diet and iron release from macrophages through the degradation of the sole cell iron exporter ferroportin.