We are delighted to highlight the recent achievement of our team members: prof. Wojciech Fendler, together with his former PhD student – Beata Małachowska, MD, PhD, a current postdoc at the Department of Radiation Oncology in Albert Einstein College of Medicine (NYC, NY, USA). Their latest work, published in iScience, provides groundbreaking insights into the regulation of systemic iron homeostasis, with a specific focus on the hepcidin hormone and its regulator, Bmp6.

Their collaborative study employed advanced proteomics and RNA-sequencing techniques on liver endothelial cells (LECs) from iron-adequate and iron-loaded mice. The research identified key transcription factors, notably c-Jun, Nfe2 and Nrf-2, activated by elevated iron levels. Particularly noteworthy is the novel revelation that c-Jun, independently of Nrf-2, plays a pivotal role in iron-mediated Bmp6 regulation, thereby influencing hepcidin modulation. This discovery significantly advances our understanding of the complex mechanisms governing iron homeostasis.

The implications of this research extend beyond the academic realm, holding promise for future therapeutic interventions in conditions related to iron imbalance, including chronic kidney diseases, inflammatory disease and pregnancy-related complications. We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Małachowska and her collaborators for this outstanding contribution to the field.

For those eager to explore the full details of this research, the complete article is available in open access here.