Description:
Iron and heme, essential elements for any cell, play a crucial role in shaping the fate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as they are involved in regulating HSC stemness, proliferation, and differentiation into erythroid cells. On the reverse side, erythropoietic activity is a crucial determinant of body iron homeostasis, as erythroblasts secrete factors that, by targeting the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, directly control iron recycling and dietary iron absorption to support heme production. This scientific session will highlight recent innovative research that sheds light on the mechanisms regulating the reciprocal relationship between iron/heme and HSC function under physiological and pathological conditions characterized by impaired erythropoiesis and iron overload.  

Dr. Dachuan Zhang will provide an overview of how a microbiota-macrophage-iron axis regulates HSC fate decisions under stress conditions. He will discuss the role of microbiota-derived metabolites in regulating bone marrow macrophage-mediated erythrophagocytosis, which provides emergent and local iron supply for HSC differentiation. 

Dr. Annamaria Aprile will discuss the role of iron on HSC function in ineffective erythropoiesis, focusing on beta-thalassemia as a model for iron-loading anemias. She will discuss the involvement of stromal cells and stress signals such as iron in modulating the functional interactions between HSCs and the bone marrow microenvironment in thalassemia. 

Dr. Léon Kautz will dissect the direct and indirect mechanisms regulating iron distribution to the erythron, the main site of iron utilization. He will provide an updated overview on the functional interaction between the erythron and hepcidin, the master regulator of iron homeostasis, focusing on erythroferrone biology and on the identification of the hepatokine FGL1 as a novel hepcidin regulator in response to anemia and hypoxia.