Iron Absorption.

The group of Prof. Kühn Lukas (ISREC – Kühn lab) propose that the iron storage function of duodenal ferritin is required as a sink to keep intracellular free iron concentrations within a physiological range and to limit basolateral iron export in the gut. Their results give credit to early transport studies in animals or intestinal loops and the concept according to which the gut mucosa can exert a regulated mucosal resistance to iron absorption. The genetic evidence presented here confirms the hypothesis formulated over 65 years ago that such resistance is due to ferritin. Their observations call for an amendment of the currently prevalent hypothesis according to which hepcidin interaction with duodenal ferroportin is sufficient to regulate iron absorption.
Vanoaica L. et al., Cell Metabolism 12, 273–282 (2010)