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Understanding the interplay of dietary iron, anaemia and the immune system

General

Four related projects aim to unravel how the iron we eat shapes how the immune system develops and responds to vaccines.

Three people stand next to the sign outside the MRC WIMM at the University of Oxford. © MRC WIMM
Professor Hal Drakesmith, Dr Nicole Stoffel and Professor Michael Zimmerman (L-R) stand outside the MRC WIMM.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. A lack of iron can have a significant impact on a range of tissues and organs and can lead to anaemia, while too much free iron can promote bacterial growth and increased risk of inflammation and diarrhoea. Recent research has highlighted the importance of dietary iron not only in supporting red blood cell production, but in the efficacy of our immune response.

The grants awarded to Professor Hal Drakesmith from the MRC Human Immunology Unit, Professor Michael Zimmerman, a visiting Professor at the MRC HIU, and post-doc Dr Nicole Stoffel, aim to explore this relationship between dietary iron, immune response and health in more depth.

Read the full story on the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine website. 

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