Welcome to the Iron coli Project Home Page

Authors

E. van der Kouwe^{1, 2}, G. Mercy³, B. Baudu⁴, A. Chhun¹, F. Amiot¹, G. Guillocheau¹, L. Le Goff⁵, H. Léger⁵, L. Ujéda⁶, W. Rostain⁷, C. Pauthenier⁸, T. Cerisy⁹, P. Parutto⁸, A. Tolonen⁹, N. Pollet¹⁰ and A. Jaramillo⁷

Abstract

This year, our project focuses on hematological disorders. More specifically, we focus on diseases caused by an iron overload such as hemochromatosis and thalassemia. For hereditary hemochromatosis, the symptoms are due to the overabsorption of iron from the duodenum by the mutation of the HFE protein. However, in case of thalassemia, patients excessively absorb iron because of a subsequent metabolic perturbation.

Nowadays, iron overload is mainly treated by bloodlettings for hemochromatosic patients but cannot be extended to thalassemic patients who suffer from anaemia. The aim of our project is to prevent the intestinal absorption of iron, thus acting directly at the source of the disease.

Using the Ferric Uptake Regulation (FUR) system that controls siderophore biosynthesis (iron chelator), we engineer Escherichia coli in order to produce these siderophores in response of high concentrations of iron. To reduce the patient's iron absorption, our bacteria will be placed in a capsule and will be ingested during a meal. Once it will arrive in the duodenum, our bacteria will produce the siderophore at their full potential and chelate the iron.

Affiliations

¹ Université Evry Val d'Essonne

² Faculté de Pharmacie de Lyon

³ Sup'Biotech Paris

⁴ AgroParisTech

⁵ Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Informatique pour l'Industrie et l'Entreprise

⁶ Paris-Descartes

⁷ Synth Bio Team, Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology

⁸ Bio-RetroSynth Team, Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology

⁹ LGBM, Genoscope

¹⁰ Metamorphosys, Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology