Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) is a leading French public organization focused on health and medical research. It provides updates and findings related to biomedical research, covering various fields such as neuroscience, cancer, immunology, and public health. The site Inserm Actualités regularly publishes the latest research outcomes, interviews with experts, and articles on pressing health issues like diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and the impact of environmental factors on health.
In 2001, hepcidin made its debut when two research teams at Inserm, one led by Olivier Loréal and the other by Sophie Vaulont, revealed its role in regulating iron in the body. Hepcidin is thought to be produced by the liver when iron levels in the blood become too high. “It’s a defense mechanism that prevents iron from crossing the intestine,” says Marie-Paule Roth, highlighting that the intestine is the only entry point for this mineral into the body. Unabsorbed iron is then expelled in the stool. However, one question remains: what mechanism triggers the synthesis of hepcidin?
A Mechanism Unveiled
Thanks to the perseverance of Marie Paule Roth’s team and Hélène Coppin (also an Inserm research director in Toulouse), the mechanism behind the synthesis of this protein has finally been decoded. The researchers have recently discovered that there is a molecule that allows iron to activate hepcidin production. Its name? BMP6. “Until now, due to its structure, this molecule was thought to play a role in bone formation,” notes Marie-Paule Roth. “However, various experiments have shown that mice lacking this protein have a skeleton identical to that of control mice but have very high levels of iron in their bodies.” This discovery opens the door to new therapies, which could help people with hemochromatosis avoid repeated bloodletting.