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Babar S, Saboor M. Erythroferrone in focus: emerging perspectives in iron metabolism and hematopathologies. BLOOD SCIENCE 2024; 6:e00198. [PMID: 39027903 PMCID: PMC11254117 DOI: 10.1097/bs9.0000000000000198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Beyond its core role in iron metabolism, erythroferrone (ERFE) has emerged as a key player with far-reaching implications in various hematologic disorders. Its regulatory effect on hepcidin underlines its significance in conditions characterized by disrupted iron homeostasis. In β-thalassemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, its dysregulation intricately contributes to the clinical challenges of anemia and iron overload which highlights its potential as a therapeutic target. In anemia of chronic disease and iron deficiency anemia, ERFE presents a unique profile. In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the intricate interplay between ERFE, erythropoietin, and hepcidin undergoes dysregulation, contributing to the complex iron imbalance characteristic of this condition. Recent research suggests that ERFE plays a multifaceted role in restoring iron balance in CKD, beyond simply suppressing hepcidin production. The potential to modulate ERFE activity offers a novel approach to treating a spectrum of disorders associated with iron dysregulation. As our understanding of ERFE continues to evolve, it is poised to become a key focus in the development of targeted treatments, making it an exciting and dynamic area of ongoing research. Modulating ERFE activity presents a groundbreaking approach to treat iron dysregulation in conditions like iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia, and hemochromatosis. As new research unveils its intricate roles, ERFE has rapidly emerged as a key target for developing targeted therapies like ERFE agonists and antagonists. With promising studies underway, this dynamic field holds immense potential to improve patient outcomes, reduce complications, and offer personalized treatment options in hematology research. This comprehensive overview of ERFE's role across various conditions underscores its pivotal function in iron metabolism and associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadia Babar
- Baqai Institute of Hematology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Baqai Institute of Medical Technology, Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saboor
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Guerra A, Hamilton N, Rivera A, Demsko P, Guo S, Rivella S. Combination of a TGF-β ligand trap (RAP-GRL) and TMPRSS6-ASO is superior for correcting β-thalassemia. Am J Hematol 2024; 99:1300-1312. [PMID: 38659383 PMCID: PMC11166515 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
A recently approved drug that induces erythroid cell maturation (luspatercept) has been shown to improve anemia and reduce the need for blood transfusion in non-transfusion-dependent as well as transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (BT) patients. Although these results were predominantly positive, not all the patients showed the expected increase in hemoglobin (Hb) levels or transfusion burden reduction. Additional studies indicated that administration of luspatercept in transfusion-dependent BT was associated with increased erythropoietic markers, decreased hepcidin levels, and increased liver iron content. Altogether, these studies suggest that luspatercept may necessitate additional drugs for improved erythroid and iron management. As luspatercept does not appear to directly affect iron metabolism, we hypothesized that TMPRSS6-ASO could improve iron parameters and iron overload when co-administered with luspatercept. We used an agent analogous to murine luspatercept (RAP-GRL) and another novel therapeutic, IONIS TMPRSS6-LRx (TMPRSS6-ASO), a hepcidin inducer, to treat non-transfusion-dependent BT-intermedia mice. Our study shows that RAP-GRL alone improved red blood cell (RBC) production, with no or limited effect on splenomegaly and iron parameters. In contrast, TMPRSS6-ASO improved RBC measurements, ameliorated splenomegaly, and improved iron overload most effectively. Our results provide pre-clinical support for combining TMPRSS6-ASO and luspatercept in treating BT, as these drugs together show potential for simultaneously improving both erythroid and iron parameters in BT patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaliris Guerra
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nolan Hamilton
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ariel Rivera
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Perry Demsko
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology affinity group (CAMB), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shuling Guo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Stefano Rivella
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cell and Molecular Biology affinity group (CAMB), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics-CHOP
- Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, CHOP, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Chauhan P, Xue Y, Fisher AL, Kim HS, Babitt JL, Christian JL. The BMP2 prodomain promotes dimerization and cleavage of BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers in vivo. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599755. [PMID: 38948827 PMCID: PMC11212948 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and BMP6 are key regulators of systemic iron homeostasis. All BMPs are generated as inactive precursor proteins that dimerize and are cleaved to generate the bioactive ligand and inactive prodomain fragments, but nothing is known about how BMP2 or BMP6 homodimeric or heterodimeric precursor proteins are proteolytically activated. Here, we conducted in vitro cleavage assays, which revealed that BMP2 is sequentially cleaved by furin at two sites, initially at a site upstream of the mature ligand, and then at a site adjacent to the ligand domain, while BMP6 is cleaved at a single furin motif. Cleavage of both sites of BMP2 is required to generate fully active BMP2 homodimers when expressed in Xenopus embryos or liver endothelial cells, and fully active BMP2/6 heterodimers in Xenopus . We analyzed BMP activity in Xenopus embryos expressing chimeric proteins consisting of the BMP2 prodomain and BMP6 ligand domain, or vice versa. We show that the prodomain of BMP2 is necessary and sufficient to generate active BMP6 homodimers and BMP2/6 heterodimers, whereas the BMP6 prodomain cannot generate active BMP2 homodimers or BMP2/6 heterodimers. We examined BMP2 and BMP6 homodimeric and heterodimeric ligands generated from native and chimeric precursor proteins expressed in Xenopus embryos. Whereas native BMP6 is not cleaved when expressed alone, it is cleaved to generate BMP2/6 heterodimers when co-expressed with BMP2. Furthermore, BMP2-6 chimeras are cleaved to generate BMP6 homodimers. Our findings reveal an important role for the BMP2 prodomain in dimerization and proteolytic activation of BMP6.
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杜 信, 谢 静, 邹 玲. [Advances in Molecular Regulatory Mechanisms of Jaw Repair and Reconstruction]. SICHUAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF SICHUAN UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCE EDITION 2024; 55:224-229. [PMID: 38322535 PMCID: PMC10839496 DOI: 10.12182/20240160101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Jawbone injuries resulting from trauma, diseases, and surgical resections are commonly seen in clinical practice, necessitating precise and effective strategies for repair and reconstruction to restore both function and aesthetics. The precise and effective repair and the reconstruction of jawbone injuries pose a significant challenge in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, owing to the unique biomechanical characteristics and physiological functions of the jawbone. The natural repair process following jawbone injuries involves stages such as hematoma formation, inflammatory response, ossification, and bone remodeling. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and other growth factors play crucial roles in promoting jawbone regeneration. Cytokines such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor play dual roles in regulating inflammatory response and bone repair. In recent years, significant progress in molecular biology research has been made in the field of jawbone repair and reconstruction. Tissue engineering technologies, including stem cell therapy, bioactive scaffolds, and growth factor delivery systems, have found important applications in jawbone repair. However, the intricate molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in the complex jawbone repair and reconstruction methods are not fully understood and still require further research. Future research directions will be focused on the precise control of these molecular processes and the development of more efficient combination therapeutic strategies to promote the effective and functional reconstruction of the jawbone. This review aims to examine the latest findings on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of the repair and reconstruction of jawbone injuries and the therapeutic strategies. The conclusions drawn in this article provide a molecular-level understanding of the repair of jawbone injuries and highlight potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- 信眉 杜
- 口腔疾病研究国家重点实验室 国家口腔疾病临床医学研究中心 四川大学华西口腔医院 牙体牙髓科 (成都 610041)State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - 静 谢
- 口腔疾病研究国家重点实验室 国家口腔疾病临床医学研究中心 四川大学华西口腔医院 牙体牙髓科 (成都 610041)State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - 玲 邹
- 口腔疾病研究国家重点实验室 国家口腔疾病临床医学研究中心 四川大学华西口腔医院 牙体牙髓科 (成都 610041)State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Nai A. BMP5: a novel tile of the hepcidin regulatory pathway. Blood 2023; 142:1260-1261. [PMID: 37824161 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Nai
- IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
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