Iron is an essential trace element whose plasma concentrations must be maintained in a narrow range. Prolonged decrease in plasma iron concentration causes cellular iron deficiency and anemia, and prolonged increase causes iron toxicity leading to organ failure and death. Our group discovered the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin and, together with others, characterized its effects, regulation and mechanism of action. Hepcidin binds to the cellular iron channel/receptor ferroportin and induces its internalization and degradation. We are studying the molecular pathways involved in hepcidin and ferroportin regulation, and developing lead candidates for the treatment of iron disorders, including hereditary hemochromatosis and various anemias. Experimental approaches range from molecular analysis of gene and protein regulation in cell lines and transgenic mice, synthetic production and testing of natural and modified peptides, to histopathologic studies and assays of samples from human patients and experimental animals.

Tomas Ganz is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pathology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received his BS in Physics from UCLA, PhD from the California Institute of Technology in Applied Physics and MD from UCLA. He trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center. His research focus is on the biological role of peptide mediators in innate immunity and iron metabolism. He investigated the pathogenesis of anemia of inflammation and iron overload states, and discovered and characterized hepcidin and erythroferrone, the principal hormones of iron homeostasis. He has authored more than 400 publications and more than 30 book chapters, with current H-index of 167 (Google Scholar). Dr. Ganz has served as an Associate Editor of Blood (1998-2007), President of the International Bioiron Society (2009-2011) and has been a member of the Erythrocyte and Leukocyte Biology (ELB) Study Section of the National Institutes of Health. He has helped start three biotechnology enterprises, Intrinsic LifeSciences, Merganser Biotech and Silarus Therapeutics, focused on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of hepcidin and erythroferrone, and has been a scientific advisor to the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He received the Marcel Simon Award of the International Bioiron Society in 2005, for the discovery of hepcidin and the American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas Award in 2014 for “groundbreaking research in iron homeostasis, including the discovery of the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin and investigation of its roles in iron metabolism”.

Error in include template "/web/fdb5/www/gpb/institution/publications": can't read "allow_redirect_p": no such variable