Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 17, 2025
Measurement of Tissue Non-Heme Iron Content using a Bathophenanthroline-Based Colorimetric Assay
Published on: January 31, 2022
Iron-Loading Anemias
Maayan V Levy1, Yelena Z Ginzburg2
1The Tisch Cancer Institute, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Erythropoiesis is a process by which red blood cells (RBCs) are produced in the adult bone marrow. It involves the differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells into mature RBCs, which transport oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body. Erythropoiesis is a complex process with a nuanced crosstalk of regulation involving hormones, cytokines, and growth factors. In recent years, multiple sources of evidence have increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that coordinate erythropoiesis to enable the daily production of approximately 200 billion RBCs. These advances have shed light on the pathophysiology in a variety of diseases, i.e., iron-loading anemias, and are paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies in preclinical and clinical development to treat such dyserythropoietic disorders. This chapter elucidates our current understanding of iron-loading anemias in general and specifically in β-thalassemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), describes the current cutting-edge understanding in pathophysiology, and delineates what novel therapies are currently being developed to target these disorders.
Erythropoiesis is a process by which red blood cells (RBCs) are produced in the adult bone marrow. It involves the differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells into mature RBCs, which transport oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body. Erythropoiesis is a complex process with a nuanced crosstalk of regulation involving hormones, cytokines, and growth factors. In recent years, multiple sources of evidence have increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that coordinate erythropoiesis to enable the daily production of approximately 200 billion RBCs. These advances have shed light on the pathophysiology in a variety of diseases, i.e., iron-loading anemias, and are paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies in preclinical and clinical development to treat such dyserythropoietic disorders. This chapter elucidates our current understanding of iron-loading anemias in general and specifically in β-thalassemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), describes the current cutting-edge understanding in pathophysiology, and delineates what novel therapies are currently being developed to target these disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Disorders of Erythrocytes
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...
01:24Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
01:14Erythropoiesis
01:22Lifecycle of Erythrocytes
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups....
00:57The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements
01:24Hemoglobin
When all four heme groups are bound to oxygen, the resulting molecule is called oxyhemoglobin. As a result, arterial blood...