HIF2α, Hepcidin and their crosstalk as tumour-promoting signalling

Not all aspects of the disruption of iron homeostasis in cancer have been fully elucidated. Iron accumulation in cancer cells is frequent for many solid tumours, and this is often accompanied by the contemporary rise of two key iron regulators, HIF2 alpha and Hepcidin. This scenario is different from what happens under physiological conditions, where hepcidin parallels systemic iron concentrations while HIF2 alpha levels are inversely associated to Hepcidin. The present review highlights the increasing body of evidence for the pro-tumoral effect of HIF2 alpha and Hepcidin, discusses the possible imbalance in HIF2 alpha, hepcidin and iron homeostasis during cancer, and explores therapeutic options relying on these pathways as anticancer strategies.