Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Fast track to the porphyrias

In susceptible individuals, fasting can trigger an attack of acute porphyria—a syndrome caused by the neurotoxic effects of precursors to porphyrins. The mechanistic basis for this trigger is now uncovered.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Regulation of heme biosynthesis in the liver.

Katie Ris

References

  1. Anderson, K.E. et al. Ann. Intern. Med. 142, 439–450 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Handschin, C. et al. Cell 122, 505–515 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bishop, D.F. Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 7187–7188 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Wingert, R.A. et al. Nature 436, 1035–1039 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cotter, P.D. et al. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 69, 207–208 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lathrop, J.T. & Timko, M.P. Science 259, 522–525 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Anderson, K.E. et al. in The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease Vol 2 (eds Scriver, C.R., Beaudet, A.L., Sly, W.S. & Valle, D.) 2991–3062 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Soonawalla, Z.F. et al. Lancet 363, 705–706 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Stojeba, N. et al. Liver Transpl. 10, 935–938 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Tschudy, D.P. et al. Metabolism 13, 396–406 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yoon, J.C. et al. Nature 413, 131–138 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Anderson, K.E. et al. in The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease Vol 2 (eds Scriver, C.R. Beaudet, A.L., Sly, W.S. & Valle, D.) 2991–3062 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Phillips, J., Kushner, J. Fast track to the porphyrias. Nat Med 11, 1049–1050 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1005-1049

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1005-1049

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing