Grant: Operating Grant

Because humans have no way of removing iron from the body, iron uptake from the diet must be very strictly controlled; however, our understanding of this complex process is incomplete. Iron is absorbed in the gut by specialized cells lining parts of the small intestine. The iron is then transported through these cells to the blood where the iron is distributed throughout the body. In this application, we propose to study the proteins involved in iron transport through the intestinal cells. We also propose to study the mechanism whereby iron leaves the intestinal cell and enters blood. We also propose to investigate why insulin-containing cells in the pancreas have high levels of a protein that keeps iron in its oxidized state. These studies will increase our understanding of diseases such as anemia and may lead to the identification of targets for drugs to control iron distribution in the body.