Down-regulation of Alk2 and hemojuvelin protects from disturbance of iron homeostasis by increased BMP expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Recently, we revealed that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 4 expression is increased in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Furthermore, recent reports described BMPs, in particular BMP6, as important regulators of hepcidin expression in iron homeostasis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to unravel why enhanced BMP expression in HCC patients does not lead to severe changes in iron metabolism. Methods and Results: BMP4 and BMP6 expression are increased in human HCC cell lines and tissues compared to normal primary human hepatocytes and non-tumorous tissue, respectively, as assessed by quantitative PCR and…