| [ Summary ] |
Excess iron in the body can produce reactive oxygen species, especially hydroxyl radicals, through Fenton reaction. The target molecules of hydroxyl radicals are polysaccharide, proteins and nucleic acids, etc. , and are deeply involved in the development of cell death, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. In order to prevent such “iron toxicity”, most iron molecules are sequestered within ferritin molecules etc. and a limited amount of labile iron pool is present within the cell. Most iron binding proteins, such as ferritin and transferrin receptor are regulated post-transcriptionally through iron regulatory proteins, which is a defense system for iron toxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is a characteristic condition, iron overload syndrome, in which an excess of iron is present in the body and causes organ failures. This condition may be improved by removing iron from the body. |