[Advances in iron metabolism: a transition state].

Purpose: Advances towards the understanding of gene regulation and protein function recently discovered through iron metabolism disorders are the subject of this review.

Current Knowledge And Key Points: Within a few years the discovery of genes that determine heritable defects of cellular iron uptake or regulation in mice as in humans have provided new insights for investigation into iron metabolism pathways.

Future Prospects And Projects: It is still unclear how connections are made between new proteins in iron uptake, trafficking and regulation of iron homeostasis. Gene expression studies using microarrays technology in different iron conditions should help to explore iron homeostasis further.