AI Article Synopsis

  • Hepcidin, produced by the liver, is an antimicrobial peptide that regulates iron balance and has potential cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
  • Research investigated hepcidin's impact on myeloma cells using MTT and DNA fragmentation assays, revealing that it impairs cell survival and causes DNA damage.
  • The study concluded that hepcidin can lyse myeloma cells, indicating a possible new role in anticancer immunity beyond its known functions.

Article Abstract

Background/aim: Hepcidin is a cationic acute phase reactant synthesized by the liver. It has bactericidal properties and is a major regulator of iron homeostasis. Cationic antimicrobial peptides represent an innate antimicrobial defense system. We hypothesized that, like other cationic antimicrobial peptides, hepcidin is cytotoxic to cancer cells.

Materials And Methods: The cytotoxicity of human hepcidin against myeloma cells was assessed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and DNA fragmentation assays. Plasma membrane damage was quantified by propidium iodide (PI) staining. Cell membrane changes were visualized by scanning electron microscopy.

Results: Hepcidin impaired myeloma cell survival and induced DNA fragmentation. PI staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed hepcidin-induced disruption of the plasma membrane.

Conclusion: Human hepcidin is an anti-cancer peptide that induces myeloma cell lysis, and therefore may play a role in innate anticancer immunity. To our knowledge, this is the first biological function ascribed to human hepcidin that is not related to its antimicrobial and iron-regulatory properties.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.21873/anticanres.14811DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

human hepcidin
12
acute phase
8
hepcidin cytotoxic
8
myeloma cells
8
cationic antimicrobial
8
antimicrobial peptides
8
dna fragmentation
8
scanning electron
8
myeloma cell
8
hepcidin
7

Similar Publications

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare and dynamic syndrome occurring as a sequela of severe acute liver injury (ALI). Its mortality ranges from 50% to 75% based on the aetiology, patients age and severity of encephalopathy at admission. With improvement in intensive care techniques, transplant-free survival in ALF has improved over time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pro-inflammatory diet affects markers of iron metabolism in healthy older adults.

J Trace Elem Med Biol

December 2024

Department of Nutrition and Gerontology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany; Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany; Department of Geriatrics and Medical Gerontology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin,  Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; TraceAge-DFG Research Unit on Interactions of Essential Trace Elements in Healthy and Diseased Elderly, Potsdam-Berlin-Jena-Wuppertal, Germany.

Background: Inflammation and inadequate nutrition are common in older age and known to affect iron homeostasis. However, it is not known whether a pro-inflammatory diet affects iron status in older adults. We investigated the diet quality of healthy older adults considering markers of iron homeostasis and inflammation compared to a younger control.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Elevated circulating hepcidin levels have been reported in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Hepcidin has been shown to promote proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in vitro, suggesting a potential role in PAH pathogenesis. However, the role of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) as either a source of hepcidin, or the effect of hepcidin on PAEC function is not as well described.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cutaneous leishmaniasis and iron metabolism: current insights and challenges.

Front Immunol

December 2024

Health and Environment Laboratory, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Immunophysiopathology Research Team, Ain Chock Faculty of Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic infection induced by protozoa of the genus The disease spectrum ranges from skin lesions to visceral leishmaniasis, which is fatal if untreated. The cutaneous leishmaniasis is characterized by a clinical polymorphism of lesions with a broad range of severity ranging from a self-limited lesion to multiple disfiguring lesions stigmatizing the patient for life. Although iron is required for several process of infection including survival, growth and virulence, the number of studies on host iron metabolism during this infection remains limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Iron retention is commonly observed in atherosclerotic plaques and is believed to be detrimental to atherosclerosis. Platelet P2Y12 is a target of antiplatelet therapy in preventing thrombotic complications of atherosclerosis. The protective effect of P2Y12 on hematopoiesis reported by our previous work implies the involvement of P2Y12 in iron metabolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!