The Iron Chaperone PCBP2 Controls Systemic Iron Homeostasis by Regulating Iron Flux in Red Pulp Macrophages.

PCBP2 is essential for macrophage iron trafficking, with its deficiency causing iron-restricted erythropoiesis and iron accumulation in the spleen in mice.

• Why it matters: Understanding how macrophages regulate systemic iron is crucial for addressing iron-related disorders, yet the specific role of PCBP2 in this process remains unclear.
• What they did: Researchers examined PCBP2 expression in macrophages under iron deficiency and used genetic models to analyze its role in iron flux, focusing on red pulp macrophages in mice and humans.
• The result: Loss of PCBP2 impairs iron bioavailability and trafficking, leading to disrupted systemic iron homeostasis, which highlights PCBP2 as a key regulator of iron adaptation and protection against overload.