Research lines
- Patients that receive chronic red blood cell transfusions are at risk of iron overload leading to tissue damage and organ failure. Within this research line we will focus on specific receptors that are involved in cellular import and export of iron. Insights from this research line will provide a better understanding of the processes leading to iron overload and toxicity after transfusion and allow the development of targeted intervention and treatment strategies to prevent and/or treat this iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients.
- In transfusion dependent patients, the underlying pathology affects the kinetics of iron uptake and export on systemic and cellular level. As a consequence, in underlying diseases with increased levels of ineffective erythropoiesis (i.e. β-thalassemia, inherited and acquired sideroblastic anemias and some forms of hereditary hemolytic anemias), iron is redistributed and stored mostly in parenchymal cells, where it is considered more toxic compared to iron storage in reticuloendothelial system cells (RES cells, i.e. macrophages). Within this research line we will focus on the cellular pathways that determine, and potentially protect from, this sensitivity of a cell to iron-induced cell damage. Results from this research will open up possibilities to specifically target, redistribute or inhibit transfusion-induced iron toxicity in chronically transfused patients.
- A close link exists between iron homeostasis and the immune system, both in immune cell maturation as well as functionality. Within this research line we aim to investigate the effect of iron overload on the functionality of the immune system in patients with ineffective erythropoiesis reflected by relatively low hepcidin levels (i.e. patients suffering from β-thalassemia, or hereditary hemochromatosis), compared to patients with no increased erythroid demand reflected by relatively normal/high hepcidin levels (i.e. patients with bone marrow failure). Results from this research will provide new insights in functional immunological consequences of iron overload and possibilities in identifying early biomarkers of iron overload with clinical significance.
