Alpha-2-Macroglobulin and the Transport and Uptake of the Hormone, Hepcidin

海普西丁是一种多肽激素，是铁代谢的主要调节剂。已有研究表明，海普西丁在血液中是游离的。然而，我们最近发现，海普西丁与血浆中的α-2-巨球蛋白(a2-M)结合，这增加了这种多肽的疗效。A2-M在海普西丁生物学中的作用的证明将有助于更好地理解海普西丁的生理学，发展其测量方法，并改进铁相关疾病的治疗。

Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that is a major regulator of iron metabolism. It has been suggested that hepcidin is free in the blood. However, we recently identified that hepcidin binds with alpha-2-macroglobulin (a2-M) in the plasma and this increases the efficacy of this peptide. The demonstration that a2-M plays a role in hepcidin biology will lead to a better understanding of hepcidin physiology, the development of methods for its measurement and improved treatment of iron related diseases.