Therapeutic potential of hepcidin − the master regulator of iron metabolism

Iron is an essential biogenic element for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In humans iron is present in hundreds of different metalloproteins. The peptide hormone hepcidin serves as a master regulator of iron homeostasis on the level of single cells and whole organism − by altering cell surface expression of cellular iron exporter − protein ferroportin. Altered levels of extracellular hepcidin lead to pathological conditions such as...