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Fast track to the porphyrias

Nature Medicine volume 11, pages 1049–1050 (2005)Cite this article

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.

Hemoglobin and other hemoproteins mediate functions as diverse as transcription, respiration, and drug and hormone metabolism. A key component of such proteins is heme, a structure in which iron is incorporated into the porphyrin ring.

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Figure 1: Regulation of heme biosynthesis in the liver.

Katie Ris

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84132, Utah, USA

    John D Phillips & James P Kushner

Authors
  1. John D Phillips
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  2. James P Kushner
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Phillips, J., Kushner, J. Fast track to the porphyrias. Nat Med 11, 1049–1050 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1005-1049

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