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Immunology

Hepcidin—a renal antibacterial defence

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 11, page 630 (2015)Cite this article

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New findings suggest that hepcidin contributes to renal host defence and could be targeted to prevent bacterial infection. Houamel et al. found that mice lacking hepcidin had increased renal bacterial load compared to wild-type mice following induction of urinary tract infection with uropathogenic Escherichia coli; conversely, the bacterial response was attenuated by pretreating wild-type mice with hepcidin. The researchers found that hepcidin exhibited bacteriostatic activity but also found evidence of strategies used by the bacteria to escape the antimicrobial activities of hepcidin.

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References

  1. Houamel, D. et al. Hepcidin as a major component of renal antibacterial defenses against uropathogenic Escherichia coli. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 10.1681/ASN.2014101035

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Hepcidin—a renal antibacterial defence. Nat Rev Nephrol 11, 630 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2015.155

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