Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

TMPRSS6 is an enzyme involved in iron homeostasis considered as a potential therapeutic target for diseases characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis and thalassemias. Recently, it was also showed that TMPRSS6 loss would be protective against obesity. Last year, we showed that different forms of TMPRSS6 exist and behave differently. This project focusses on the discovery of how these isoforms may play different physiological roles because of their distinct structure and biological functionalities. First, we aim to detect the different TMPRSS6 forms at the protein level. Moreover, we will study the regulation mechanisms leading to their differential expression. Finally, we will identify new physiological roles of TMPRSS6 isoforms. The elucidation of TMPRSS6 isoforms expression and roles will allow more than the discovery of TMPRSS6 new functions and a better understanding of TMPRSS6 dependant iron regulation as it will provide information regarding potential impacts of targeting TMPRSS6 activity to treat disorders characterized by iron overload and, perhaps, obesity.