New Clues To Cause Of Iron Disorder

Researchers say they have identified a protein they believe is key to the iron disorder hemochromatosis. The finding could lead to new treatments for this relatively common disease, in which tissues become overloaded with iron. About one in every 200 to 300 Americans are affected by hemochromatosis, which can lead to organ failure if left untreated. Reporting in the March issue of Cell Metabolism, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School study found the protein ferroportin is the major, and possibly only, iron exporter functioning at key points of iron absorption and release in the body. This suggests that iron accumulation in people with hemochromatosis may be the result of ferroportin-related loss of control over iron export.