Seminar announcement Dr. Burke- July 12, 2017

July 12,  14:30

Making molecular prosthetics

Martin D. Burker, PhD, MD   (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Room III floor, Padiglione Beccaria (COM)

Policlinico, via del Pozzo 71

To download the flyer click  here .

Abstract

From the recent paper published in Science by dr. Burke’s team “Restored iron transport by a small molecule
promotes absorption and hemoglobinization in animals”
Multiple human diseases ensue from a hereditary or acquired deficiency of iron-transporting protein function that
diminishes transmembrane iron flux in distinct sites and directions. Because other iron-transport proteins remain active,
labile iron gradients build up across the corresponding protein-deficient membranes. Here we report that a smallmolecule
natural product, hinokitiol, can harness such gradients to restore iron transport into, within, and/or out of cells.
The same compound promotes gut iron absorption in DMT1-deficient rats and ferroportin-deficient mice, as well as
hemoglobinization in DMT1- and mitoferrin-deficient zebrafish. These findings illuminate a general mechanistic
framework for small molecule-mediated site- and direction-selective restoration of iron transport. They also suggest that
small molecules that partially mimic the function of missing protein transporters of iron, and possibly other ions, may
have potential in treating human diseases”.
Science. 2017 May 12;356(6338):608-616.