Physiology of Iron Metabolism

Dear Colleagues,

Iron is the second most abundant metal and the fourth most abundant element of the earth’s crust. It is essential for numerous biochemical processes of almost every organism, such as oxygen sensing and transport, electron transfer, and catalysis. Therefore, adequate iron supply is critical for cellular as well as organismal homeostasis. Although iron deficiency leads to various biochemical disorders, iron excess is potentially toxic as it can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) via Fenton reactions. Organisms of different orders have thus developed customized iron metabolism of their own which has to be tightly regulated. Regular and sufficient intake of iron through diet is critical for efficient hemoglobin synthesis in the mammals. In humans, iron imbalance constitutes a major global health burden, as both deficiency (mainly nutritional) and overload (genetically encoded) disorders are prevalent in distinct geographical and genetic backgrounds. In addition, dysregulated iron metabolism has been implicated in various disorders, such as inflammation, infection, and cancer highlighting its much broader role in pathophysiology. Over recent years, discovery of several new players in cellular and systemic iron regulation has revolutionized our understandings from both basic science and translational perspectives. For example, novel roles of host-gut microbiota crosstalk in mammalian iron homeostasis, and its connection with cell proliferation and metabolism have generated widespread interest. Many questions still remain unanswered with regard to the organellar dynamics of iron in cellular physiology, for which ongoing studies and relentless efforts are currently under way.

Dr. Nupur Das
Guest Editor

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