Section A Project A05

The role of the transferrin receptor 2 in infection and inflammatory induced bone loss

The maintenance of iron homeostasis is not only important for immune cell function but also for osteoclast function. These features make iron an important systemic mediator controlling inflammatory bone loss (Rauner, Baschant, et al., 2019). In this project, an iron overload murine model based on mutated iron-regulating transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2) will be used to identify how iron and iron regulators governs osteoclast function and metabolism during inflammatory bone diseases, such as arthritis and periodontitis. We hypothesize that iron and the iron regulator Tfr2 triggers inflammation induced bone loss by governing osteoclastogenesis and their mitochondrial metabolism. These insights will pave the way to further uncover effects of iron and additional iron regulators on inflammatory bone changes and exploit iron-dependent metabolites for therapeutic purposes. The project will further provide novel insights into the impact of iron homeostasis on osteoclast metabolism and inflammatory bone loss.