The Roles of Cardiac Hepcidin and Ferroportin in Iron Homeostasis in the Heart
Previous research has shown that manipulating iron levels in the heart could help to treat heart disease. But to manipulate iron in the heart, we first need to understand how iron levels are regulated. Hepcidin is a hormone made in the liver that regulates total iron levels in the body. Dr Lakhal Littleton and others have found that hepcidin is also made in the heart, suggesting that heart hepcidin might regulate levels of iron in the heart. To test this theory, Dr Lakhal Littleton will use engineered mouse models, where heart hepcidin is absent but liver hepcidin is left intact. These models will enable her to determine if heart hepcidin regulates iron in the heart and whether drugs that target heart hepcidin could be used to treat heart disease.
Project details
| Grant amount | £624,089 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship |
| Start Date | 01 January 2013 |
| Duration | 6 years, 6 months |
| Reference | FS/12/63/29895 |
| Status | In Progress |
