New developments and controversies in iron metabolism and iron chelation therapy

Figure 2 Iron absorption mechanisms at the enterocyte. Under normal conditions the regulatory pathway of iron absorption at the enterocyte involves the regulatory molecules DMT1, hepcidin, ferroportin and then iron transfer and uptake by transferrin in plasma. A parallel pathway of iron absorption may involve lipophilic dietary chelating molecules like maltol. Different pathway of iron uptake by the enterocyte also exists for haem iron. Adapted from ref. [22]. DMT1: Divalent metal transporter 1.