Iron Chelation

Deferoxamine improved short-term survival in a rat model of sepsis. In an ICU randomized trial, deferoxamine did not significantly reduce AKI incidence but reduced AKI severity and discharge serum creatinine. Iron chelation has reduced renal damage severity in animal models of several injury types. Sequestration is the process by which the body binds up free iron and other trace minerals to deny pathogens access to them. Iron is required by both beneficial bacteria and harmful pathogens for growth, making it a critical resource in host-pathogen competition. When the body senses infection, inflammation, or fever, it rapidly binds circulating free iron using specific compounds. Blood donation is the only intervention that directly removes stored iron from the body, rather than merely reducing absorption. Green tea polyphenols, notably EGCG, chelate iron and reduce its absorption. Some pathogens counter iron sequestration by breaking open host cells to extract the iron stored inside. Quercetin is a flavonoid with iron-chelating and anti-inflammatory activity. People with iron overload conditions are significantly more susceptible to infections because excess available iron feeds path…