Mechanism and regulation of iron absorption throughout the life cycle

作者：Lili Qiu, D. Frazer, Mengxiao Hu, Rui Song, Xiaoxue Liu, Xiyu Qin, Jie Ma, Jun Zhou, Zidi Tan, Fazheng Ren, James F. Collins, Xiaoyu Wang · 发表于：Journal of Advanced Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.jare.2025.01.002 · 被引用次数：17 · 研究领域：Iron Metabolism and Disorders、Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders、Trace Elements in Health

BACKGROUND: Iron plays a crucial role through various life stages of human. Iron homeostasis is primarily regulated by iron absorption which is mediated via divalent metal-ion transporter 1 (DMT1), and iron export protein ferroportin (FPN), as there is no active pathway for iron excretion from the body. Recent studies have shown that the magnitude of iron absorption changes through various life stages to meet changing iron requirements. AIM OF REVIEW: This review aims to provide an overview of recent researches on the regulation of iron absorption throughout mammalian life cycle, with the potential to reveal novel molecules and pathways at special stage of life. Such insights may pave the way for new treatments for disorders associated with aberrant iron homeostasis in the future. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: This review first summarize the mechanism and regulation of iron absorption throughout various life stages, highlighting that regulatory mechanisms have developed to precisely align iron absorption to iron requirements. In adults, iron absorption is enhanced when body is deficient of iron, conversely, iron absorption is reduced when iron demand decreases via systemic regulator Hepcidin and cellular regulation. In the elderly, age-related inflammation, hormonal changes, and chronic diseases may affect the production of Hepcidin, affecting iron absorption. In infants, intestinal iron absorption and its regulatory mechanism are different from that in adults and there ...