Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print MIT uncovers key blood protein

MIT uncovers key blood protein

October 12, 2007

Discovery could lead to new therapeutics for certain blood diseases

CAMBRIDGE, MA--Scientists working in the only lab at MIT doing hematology research have uncovered a protein that plays a key role in the recycling of iron from blood.




Their work, described in the October 11 Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to new therapies for certain inherited blood disorders such as beta-thalassemia, a condition that causes chronic anemia. The team is led by Jane-Jane Chen, a principal research scientist in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST).

Two years ago Chen and colleagues showed that a protein, heme-regulated eukaryotic translational initiation factor 2 ±-subunit (eIF2-alpha) kinase, or HRI for short, keeps mice with beta-thalassemia alive. This protein minimizes an abnormal and toxic imbalance of globin chains, the protein base for the hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to our organs and carts away carbon dioxide waste.

In the new work, the team has found that HRI also plays a key role in the body's iron recycling process. Chen observed that this process falters in mice lacking HRI. As a result, less iron was available for use in the creation of new red blood cells.

A closer look revealed that HRI influences two mechanisms in this recycling process. First, a lack of HRI reduces levels of another protein called hepcidin. Hepcidin, recently discovered to be the master regulator of the iron cycle, releases iron from stores in the body and makes it available to be processed into hemoglobin. Without hepcidin, the body retains iron, but never puts it to work.

The team also found that HRI, which is expressed predominantly in the precursors of red blood cells, is expressed in macrophages. Macrophages are cells that literally reach out and grab dying red blood cells and eat them, digesting them and releasing the iron from their hemoglobin back into the system.

A lack of HRI causes these macrophages to lose their appetite, gobbling down fewer red blood cells. Instead of being digested and recycled, the red blood cells die and end up excreted through the kidneys. The result is a net loss of iron from the body.

With this new understanding of HRI's dual role in iron recycling-that it both keeps iron in the body and puts it to work-Chen is conducting a search for small molecules that might modulate the HRI signaling pathway. In turn, these compounds could potentially help diseased precursors of red blood cells survive and boost the iron recycling process.

"Perhaps we will find a compound that could help patients with beta-thelassemia or other diseases where HRI plays a role," said Chen. Such conditions include a genetic disorder called erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), which causes photosensitivity and liver disease, as well as a condition called the anemia of inflammation in which the iron recycling process breaks down under the influence of stress, chronic disease, aging, or cancer.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology



Related Blood Cell Current Events and Blood Cell News Articles Blood Cell Current Events and Blood Cell News RSS Blood Cell Current Events and Blood Cell News RSS
Measuring and modeling blood flow in malaria
When people have malaria, they are infected with Plasmodium parasites, which enter the body from the saliva of a mosquito, infect cells in the liver, and then spread to red blood cells.

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging
If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something important-especially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and require high-spatial-resolution imaging.

Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism
Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Scientists successfully reprogram blood cells
Researchers have transplanted genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells into mice so that their developing red blood cells produce a critical lysosomal enzyme -preventing or reducing organ and central nervous system damage from the often-fatal genetic disorder Hurler's syndrome.

Findings show nanomedicine promising for treating spinal cord injuries
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident.

Immunotherapy demonstrates long-term success in treating lymphoma
Targeted immunotherapy has been an attractive new therapeutic area for a number of cancers because it has the potential to destroy tumor cells without damaging surrounding normal tissue. New study results demonstrate high success rates using specialized white blood cells to prevent or treat lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-lymphoma) in patients who have received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).

Blood counts are clues to human disease
A new genome-wide association study published today in Nature Genetics begins to uncover the basis of genetic variations in eight blood measurements and the impact those variants can have on common human diseases.

Ironing out the genetic cause of hemoglobin problems
A gene with a significant effect on regulating hemoglobin in the body has been identified as part of a genome-wide association study, which looked at the link between genes and hemoglobin level in 16,000 people.

Discovery of genetic defect may lead to better treatments for common gut diseases
New findings related to an uncommon genetic disorder may impact the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the most common chronic gastrointestinal illness in children and teens. Two million Americans have IBD which involves inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

MDC scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated
During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will develop into new stem cells (self-renewal) or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation.
More Blood Cell Current Events and Blood Cell News Articles
  The Morphology of Human Blood Cells, 5th Edition
by Diggs; Sturm; Bell (Author)



Blood Cells An Atlas of Morphology with Clinical Relevance

Blood Cells An Atlas of Morphology with Clinical Relevance
by Gene Gulati and Jaime Caro (Author)

Dr Gene L. Gulati, world-renowned educator and frequent contributor to Laboratory Medicine and other prestigious scientific journals, along with his colleague Dr. Jaime Caro, have brought together a comprehensive and completely practical color atlas of the characteristics and clinical relevance of individual normal and abnormal cells, and the morphologic findings associated with various clinical conditions. Hundreds of microphotographs and concise, clear definitions are included to aid in the differentiation of blood smears so critical in clarifying or establishing diagnoses in the clinical laboratory. You're sure to benefit from the unique perspectives and combined expertise of a clinical laboratory hematologist and a clinical hematologist. Succinct descriptions are provided for nearly...

Red Blood Cell (Erythrocyte) Corporeals Plush

Red Blood Cell (Erythrocyte) Corporeals Plush
by Giant Microbes

The life of the party, his best trick is to hold his breath until he turns blue! Invite him to your next bash and he's sure show you a bloody good time.

White Blood Cells

White Blood Cells
by The White Stripes

2008 reissue of White Blood Cells, the third album by alternative rock band The White Stripes. The band's commercial breakthrough, this 2001 album went gold,spinning off the Top 20 Modern Rock hits 'Fell In Love With A Girl' and 'Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground.' White Blood Cells peaked at number 61 on the Billboard 200 and it reached number 55 in the UK, being bolstered in both territories by the "Fell in Love with a Girl" single. The album was dedicated to Loretta Lynn, creating a friendship between Lynn and both Jack and Meg White. In 2004, Jack White would produce Lynn's comeback hit album Van Lear Rose.16 tracks.

  The Morphology of Human Blood Cells
by Ann Bell (Author), Sabah Sallah (Author)

Model # from back of book 97-1511/R13-10 October 2003

White Blood Cells

White Blood Cells
The White Stripes (Primary Contributor)



Nature Made Iron 65mg Equivalent to 325 mg Ferrous Sulfate, Vital for Red Blood Cell Formation, Dietary Supplement, 300 Tablets Each (2 Pack)

Nature Made Iron 65mg Equivalent to 325 mg Ferrous Sulfate, Vital for Red Blood Cell Formation, Dietary Supplement, 300 Tablets Each (2 Pack)
by Nature Made

Iron has a central role in transporting oxygen to important tissues throughout the body. It is also needed for the formation and function of hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle cells, which are necessary for the transportation of oxygen. Iron helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia, a condition in which red blood cells are not able to carry enough oxygen to meet the bodys needs. It is the most common deficiency in the United States and the most common cause of anemia in the U.S., especially among children and women during their childbearing years (Mahan & Stump, 2008). Symptoms of anemia include fatigue, poor concentration, and an increase in colds and infections, so with that said, it is critical that iron needs are met. In addition, iron helps strengthen the immune...

NuIron 150 Iron Supplement To Help Blood Cells Carry Oxygen In The Body - 100 Ea

NuIron 150 Iron Supplement To Help Blood Cells Carry Oxygen In The Body - 100 Ea
by MERZ PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

INDICATIONS: Nu - Iron 150 Iron Supplement for the prevention and/or treatment of dietary vitamin and iron deficiencies. To Help Blood Cells Carry Oxygen In The Body.

Life Cell Support Blood Cleanser And Detoxify For Pets (1oz)

Life Cell Support Blood Cleanser And Detoxify For Pets (1oz)
by Amber Technology

Life Cell Immune Support is a natural herbal aid to cleanse and detoxify your pet's blood, liver, lymphatic system and stimulate cell regeneration to help maintain your pet's health. Life Cell Immune Support helps break down tumors, soothes the digestive tract, strengthens vital organs, and purifies the blood.

ABC News Nightline Banking on your Future

ABC News Nightline Banking on your Future

Storing umbilical cord blood is a growing phenomenon. Private cord blood banks across the country are providing storage for thousands of parents and there are a lot of parents out there who think they will be letting their children down if they don't participate. The question is, how useful are they? And if storing cord blood is a useful thing to do, should there be more public cord blood banks accessible to everyone, including those who might not be able to afford private banks? ABC News will examine the science and the social implications of this new trend in medicine. Is it an example of a scientific breakthrough vital to all, or an example of 'boutique medicine' dividing those with means from those without?

Anchor: Ted Koppel

Airdate: 10/4/2005

This product is manufactured on...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com