Stem cell niche is critical for regulating the behavior of stem cells. Drosophila neural stem cells (Neuroblasts, NBs) are encased by glial niche cells closely, but it still remains unclear whether glial niche cells can regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of NBs. Here, we show that ferritin produced by glia, cooperates with Zip13 to transport iron into NBs for the energy production, which is essential to the self-renewal and proliferation of NBs. The knockdown of glial ferritin encoding genes causes energy shortage in NBs via downregulating aconitase activity and NAD+ level, which leads to the low proliferation and premature differentiation of NBs mediated by Prospero entering nuclei. More importantly, ferritin is a potential target for tumor suppression. In addition, the level of glial ferritin production is affected by the status of NBs, establishing a bicellular iron homeostasis. In this study, we demonstrate that glial cells are indispensable to maintain the self-renewal of NBs, unveiling a novel role of the NB glial niche during brain development.
Iron is an essential nutrient for almost all living organisms. For example, iron contributes to the replication of DNA, the generation of energy inside cells, and the transport of oxygen around the body. Iron deficiency is the most common of all nutrient deficiencies, affecting over 40% of children worldwide. This can lead to anemia and also impair how the brain and nervous system develop, potentially resulting in long-lasting cognitive damage, even after the deficiency has been treated. It is poorly understood how iron contributes to the development of the brain and nervous system. In particular, whether and how it supports nerve stem cells (or NSCs for short) which give rise to the various neural types in the mature brain. To investigate, Ma et al. experimentally reduced the levels of ferritin (a protein which stores iron) in the developing brains of fruit fly larvae. This reduction in ferritin led to lower numbers of NSCs and a smaller brain. Unexpectedly, this effect was largest when ferritin levels were reduced in glial cells which support and send signals to NSCs, rather than in the stem cells themselves. Ma et al. then used fluorescence microscopy to confirm that glial cells make and contain a lot of ferritin which can be transported to NSCs. Adding iron supplements to the diet of flies lacking ferritin did not lead to normal numbers of stem cells in the brains of the developing fruit flies, whereas adding compounds that reduce the amount of iron led to lower numbers of stem cells. Together, this suggests that ferritin transports iron from glial cells to the NSCs. Without ferritin and iron, the NSCs could not produce enough energy to divide and make new stem cells. This caused the NSCs to lose the characteristics of stem cells and prematurely turn into other types of neurons or glial cells. Together, these findings show that when iron cannot move from glial cells to NSCs this leads to defects in brain development. Future experiments will have to test whether a similar transport of iron from supporting cells to NSCs also occurs in the developing brains of mammals, and whether this mechanism applies to stem cells in other parts of the body.

The goal is to provide foundational data that could spearhead more extensive, prospective research into understanding the influences of micronutrient levels on the nocturnal patterns of hypertension, possibly aiding in identifying potential therapeutic strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk in this demographic. The research employed a retrospective design to analyze the micronutrient levels, including ferritin, folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, in a limited sample size from a single hospital. However, it is worth noting that the study did not scrutinize other potentially relevant micronutrients and biomarkers and lacked information on potential confounding factors such as lifestyle and dietary habits, physical activity levels, and specific details on antihypertensive medications used. The preliminary findings highlight a significant difference in ferritin levels between dipper and non-dipper groups, indicating a potential role in the development of non-dipper hypertension. Surprisingly, no notable difference was observed in vitamin D levels between the groups. The study underscores the increasing prevalence of hypertension and micronutrient deficiencies as age progresses. Despite its limitations, including limited sample size and potential influences from unaccounted variables, the study hints at a potential relationship between micronutrient levels and non-dipper hypertension. It emphasizes the necessity for larger scale, prospective research to delve deeper into the nature of this relationship, potentially fostering new therapeutic approaches in cardiovascular risk management within the elderly population.

UNASSIGNED: Excess iron deriving from a chronic transfusion and dietary intake increases the risk for cardiac complications in β-thalassemia major patients. Deferiprone and deferasirox are commonly prescribed to thalassemic patients who are at risk of iron overload. This study aimed to compare the performance and toxicity of deferiprone and deferasirox in β-thalassemia major patients.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional observation was performed on 102 patients with β-thalassemia major. Serum ferritin along with total, indirect, and direct bilirubin levels were measured. Levels of liver enzymes, transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST), were also determined. Ferritin correlations with serum ALT, AST, and total bilirubin were constructed based on Spearman\'s rank correlation. Statistical differences based on the serum parameters were analyzed between deferiprone and deferasirox groups. The differences of iron chelators\' effects between those receiving short-term (≤7 years) and long-term (>7 years) blood transfusion were also analyzed.
UNASSIGNED: The averaged levels of bilirubin, ALT, AST, and ferritin were found to be high. Ferritin was positively correlated with ALT (r=0.508 and p<0.001) and AST ((r=0.569; p<0.001). There was no statistical difference in ferritin levels between the deferiprone and deferasirox groups ( p=0.776). However, higher total bilirubin and ALT were observed in the deferasirox group than in the deferiprone group ( p=0.001 and 0.022, respectively). Total ( p<0.001), indirect ( p<0.001), and direct bilirubin levels ( p=0.015) were significantly higher in patients with long-term transfusions than those receiving short-term transfusions. Higher ferritin was found with a statistical significance of p=0.008 in the long-term transfusions group.
UNASSIGNED: Ferritin is high in people with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia major and positively correlated with ALT and AST. Deferasirox might pose a higher risk of developing hepatic injury as compared with deferiprone. Yet, no significant change of deferasirox efficacy (based on ferritin level) was found between those receiving short-term and long-term transfusions.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) patients are at an elevated risk of malnutrition. Nutritional inadequacy can also cause micronutrient deficiencies. These factors can lead to weight loss, stunted growth, and poor quality of life. Despite the prevalence of these issues, limited research exists in the micronutrient status of PPC patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the vitamin B12 and D, iron, ferritin, folate, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels of PPC patients to contribute to a better understanding of their micronutrient needs as well as the appropriate management of diet and treatment approaches.
METHODS: This was a single-center observational cross-sectional retrospective study. This study evaluated the levels of vitamin B12, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, iron, ferritin, folate, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in PPC patients. The patients were classified according to the Chronic Complex Conditions (CCC) v2 and then compared.
RESULTS: A total of 3,144 micronutrient data points were collected from 822 hospitalizations of 364 patients. At least one micronutrient deficiency was identified in 96.9% of the patients. The most prevalent deficiencies were observed for iron, calcium, and phosphate. In addition, 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was observed in one-third of patients. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were negatively correlated with age.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that micronutrient deficiencies are highly prevalent in PPC patients. These findings have the potential to contribute to improvements in the nutritional and therapeutic management of patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the clinical efficacy and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of iron preparations.
METHODS: A total of 374 patients with iron deficiency anaemia admitted to our hospital between 1 January and 31 December 2020 were included in this study. They were divided into 2 groups based on their medication regimens: Group A (n = 187) took oral ferrous succinate tablets, and Group B (n = 187) received intravenous iron sucrose. The remission of major symptoms, laboratory test results, ADRs and other related data were collected after 4 weeks of treatment.
RESULTS: Compared with the pre-treatment baseline, haemoglobin (Hb), serum iron (SI), serum ferritin (SF) and the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) increased in both groups at 4 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment, Group A had lower levels of Hb (108.41 ± 8.39 vs. 122.31 ± 6.04 g/L, t = 6.293, P < 0.001), SI (9.72 ± 4.24 vs. 15.62 ± 5.41 µmol/L, t = 5.482, P < 0.001) and SF (27.1 ± 10.82 vs. 39.82 ± 10.44 ug/L, t = 6.793, P < 0.001) compared with Group B. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the post-treatment level of MCV (P > 0.05). The overall response rate significantly differed between the 2 groups (78.61% vs. 90.91%, χ2 = 10.949, P < 0.001). The incidence of ADRs of both groups were similar, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2 = 0.035, P = 0.851).
CONCLUSIONS: Iron sucrose demonstrates favourable efficacy and safety in treating iron deficiency anaemia.

Magnetic nanoparticles offer many exciting possibilities in biomedicine, from cell imaging to cancer treatment. One of the currently researched nanoparticles are magnetosomes, magnetite nanoparticles of high chemical purity synthesized by magnetotactic bacteria. Despite their therapeutic potential, very little is known about their degradation in human cells, and even less so of their degradation within tumours. In an effort to explore the potential of magnetosomes for cancer treatment, we have explored their degradation process in a 3D human lung carcinoma model at the subcellular level and with nanometre scale resolution. We have used state of the art hard X-ray probes (nano-XANES and nano-XRF), which allow for identification of distinct iron phases in each region of the cell. Our results reveal the progression of magnetite oxidation to maghemite within magnetosomes, and the biosynthesis of magnetite and ferrihydrite by ferritin.

BACKGROUND: Reticulocyte haemoglobin equivalent (RET-He) is a useful tool for evaluating recent iron usage irrespective of inflammatory status. This study aims to establish a reference for RET-He among Hong Kong healthy children under the age of 5 years and to investigate the association between RET-He and various blood parameters.
METHODS: A total of 946 children aged 2-48 months from July 2019 to December 2022 were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The RET-He and other haematological parameters were measured by the haematology analyser from Sysmex XN-9100/XN-1500. The ferritin test was performed with the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Interval 2.5th percentile to 97.5th percentile represented the normal RET-He ranges. Linear multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relation between RET-He and various blood parameters. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the sensitivity and specificity of RET-He in identifying iron deficiency.
RESULTS: The RET-He in the study population was approximately normally distributed. The age-specific lower limit of RET-He ranges from 25.81 pg (25-36 months) to 27.15 pg (13-24 months). RET-He was found to be lower in the age group 2-6 months (mean=29.47 pg) and 7-12 months (mean=29.41 pg). Changes in RET-He and haemoglobin in relation to age were observed in both sexes (both p<0.001). RET-He was influenced by age, some red blood cell parameters and reticulocyte concentrations (all p<0.05). A cut-off value of RET-He ≤27.8 pg was determined for identifying iron deficiency.
CONCLUSIONS: RET-He levels varied with age, with a relatively lower level in infants than in other age groups. The value below the age-specific lower limit of the reference range of RET-He can be used as a limit for preliminary iron-deficiency screening.

Transistor-based biosensing (BioFET) is a long-enduring vision for next generation medical diagnostics. The study addresses a challenge associated with the BioFET solution gating. The standard BioFET sensing measurement involves sweeping of the solution gate (Vsol) with a concurrent measurement of the source-drain current (IDS). This IDS-Vsol sweep poses a great challenge, as Vsol does not only determine IDS, but also determines the pH levels, ion concentrations, and electric fields at the sensing area double layer accommodating the biomolecules. Therefore, inevitably, an IDS-Vsol sweep implies that the sensing area double layer is not in an electrochemical equilibrium, but rather in a continuous transient state as electrochemical potential gradients induce transient ion currents continuously affecting double layer hosting the biomolecules and the biological interactions. This challenge calls for a BioFET design which permits IDS sweeping from an off-state to an on-state while keeping Vsol constant and the double layer sensing area in electrochemical equilibrium. The study explores a BioFET design addressing this challenge by decoupling the solution potential from IDS gating. Specific and label-free sensing of ferritin in 0.5 μL drops of 1:100 diluted plasma is pursued. We show an excellent sensing performance once the solution potential and IDS gating are decoupled, with a limit-of-detection of 10 fg/ml, a dynamic range of 10 orders of magnitude in ferritin concentration and excellent linearity and sensitivity. In contrast, a poor sensing performance is recorded for the conventional Vsol sweep performed in parallel to the above. Extensive control measurements quantifying the non-specific signals are reported.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the iron overload among individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who have not received red blood cell transfusions.
METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, NIH, and Blood Library databases up to September 2023. The search strategy included keywords related to AML, iron overload, serum ferritin, survival, outcomes, and inflammation. Manual searches through included articles and relevant references were also performed. From 1650 initial articles, 16 studies involving 8752 patients met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Statistical analysis used hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI).  Results: The systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant association between high serum ferritin (SF) levels and poor outcomes in AML patients before starting chemotherapy. Elevated SF levels (>1000 mg/L) were associated with lower overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) (HR for OS: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.48-2.66; HR for EFS: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.73-3.05). Elevated SF levels were inversely correlated with the gradual onset of infections, indicating an increased risk of early mortality (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum ferritin levels are significantly associated with poor outcomes in AML patients before treatment initiation. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring iron levels in these patients to improve prognostic assessments and treatment strategies.

Iron is a key nutrient for cognitive function. During periods of high academic demand, brain and cognitive activity increase, potentially affecting iron intake and reserves. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of iron levels on cognitive function in a university sample, considering the influence of gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 132 university students (18-29 years) from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). A dietary record was formed through a questionnaire to analyze iron consumption, and blood and anthropometric parameters were measured. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV was used to determine the Intelligence Quotient (IQ), as well as the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Processing Speed Index (PSI), and Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), to assess cognitive abilities. Among women, the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was 21% and 4.2%, respectively. No ID or IDA was found in men. The impact of iron intake on IQ and cognitive abilities was mainly associated with the female population, where a positive association between iron intake, serum ferritin, and total IQ was revealed. In conclusion, low iron intake is related to poorer intellectual ability, suggesting that an iron-rich diet is necessary to maintain the academic level of university students.