Zimmermann Group: Iron Nutrition - Stable Isotopes and Therapeutics
The overall aim of our research program is to improve iron nutrition and reduce anaemia in women and children, directly supporting the U.N.'s 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of ‘Zero Hunger’.
Development and application of stable iron isotope methods in health and disease
Iron plays a crucial role in human health, and iron deficiency is one of the primary causes of disability worldwide. Stable (nonradioactive) iron isotope techniques are essential for evaluating iron kinetics from oral supplements and fortificants, as well as for studying the effects of diseases and genetic disorders on iron absorption and excretion. The appearance of a stable iron isotope in plasma after oral administration can be used to immediately assess the rate, quantity, and pattern of iron absorption. In contrast, the erythrocyte iron incorporation method measures both the absorption and subsequent utilization of iron by erythrocytes, measured 14 days after administration. The iron isotope dilution method employs naturally occurring iron as a tracer, which dilutes an enriched isotopic signature previously introduced and equilibrated with the body's iron stores. This innovative new technique enables long-term studies of iron absorption, loss, and gain. Stable isotope methods can also provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of iron homeostasis at the cellular and molecular levels. Current stable iron isotopic measurements are typically performed in bulk cells (e.g., erythrocytes) or bodily fluids. These approaches do not capture inter-cell variation in isotopic enrichment. Emerging single-cell isotopic techniques are capable of precisely determining isotope abundances at a detailed spatial level. Combined with -omics data, these techniques may provide new insights by bridging scales from single-cell activity to tissue- and organism-level response.
Stable iron isotope methods: erythrocyte iron incorporation and isotope dilution.
Discovery and testing of novel iron compounds for nutritional therapeutics
We develop and test new iron compounds, including plant-derived haem-iron, stabilized lactoferrin and nanostructured iron. These compounds could replace current iron salts due to their high absorption even when consumed with foods, improving compliance. They have high promise to effectively treat iron deficiency anaemia in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions by bypassing the hepcidin-mediated block of intestinal iron absorption. We are testing thermostable phytases to improve iron absorption from cereal-based diets. We investigate new approaches to alternate-day iron dosing at lower, more bioavailable doses, improving efficacy, safety and tolerability.
Administration of an oral stable Iron tracer to assess iron kinetics during lactation in KenyaOur team
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Michael Bruce Zimmermann
Professor of Human Nutrition
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Isidro Abreu Sanchez
Senior Postdoctoral Researcher
Collaborators
- Ali Abbaspourrad, Cornell University, USA
- Renée Blaauw, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- Gary Brittenham, Columbia University, USA
- Hal Drakesmith, University of Oxford, UK
- Sueppong Gowachirapant, Mahidol University, Thailand
- Simon Karanja, JKUAT, Kenya
- Raffaele Mezzenga, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Diego Moretti, FFHS, Zurich, Switzerland
- Omar Obeid, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Nicole Stoffel, University of Oxford and ETH Zurich
- Prashanth Thankachan, SJRI, Bangalore, India