The iron fist: Malaria and hepcidin

Abstract

In this issue of Blood, Atkinson and colleagues document dynamic fluctuations in plasma concentrations of hepcidin, the master regulator of iron homeostasis, in African children during malaria transmission season and further show that low hepcidin levels and iron deficiency are more prevalent at the end of the malaria season, implying that iron therapy may be most beneficial at this time. © 2014 by The American Society of Hematology.