# Center for Iron & Heme Disorders at the University of Utah

> **NIH NIH U54** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2024 · $619,450

## Abstract

Project Summary:
The proposed University of Utah Cooperative Centers of Excellence in Hematology (CCEH) brings together 38
investigators whose research activities are focused on various aspects of iron and heme metabolism and non-
malignant hematology. Iron plays an essential role in many biological processes including heme synthesis,
oxygen transport, cellular respiration and DNA synthesis. Malregulation of iron homeostasis, either from
deficiency or excess, results in disease. Heme is a key component of hemoglobin and other hemoproteins, but
heme also plays a regulatory role in a number of metabolic pathways. Disorders of heme biosynthesis are
responsible for an important group of human diseases, namely the porphyrias. The Utah Center for Iron and
Heme Disorders (CIHD) will support the activities of a Research Base of 38 investigators whose research
projects focus on the roles of iron, porphyrins and heme in eukaryotic metabolism. The activities of center
members encompass both basic and clinical studies designed to identify disease mechanisms. To accomplish
our goals, we propose an Administrative Core and four Biomedical Research Cores. The majority of the cores
are already present and have been adjusted to meet the needs of the CIHD. These include: an Iron and Heme
Core, which can assay and quantitate metals, porphyrins, heme biosynthetic enzymes and iron-binding and
other proteins; a Metabolomics Core, which provides metabolomic phenotyping and molecular identification; a
Mutation Generation and Detection Core, which provides cutting edge genome editing through CRISPR and
TALEN reagents; and a new core in this renewal, the Protein-Metabolite Interactomics Core that provides
proteomics services but adds the unique technology of identification of metabolites that interact with a protein
and may post-translationally modify the protein in novel ways. The services provided by these cores will enable
individual investigators to: 1) identify the role of genes in hematopoiesis or iron overload; 2) determine the
effects of gene modification or mutations on metabolism in cultured cells or biological fluids; and 3) identify at
the biochemical level the effect of mutations or conditions that affect iron and heme homeostasis on all levels.
The Administrative Core will provide budgetary and scientific guidance to CIHD activities. Core recharge fees
will be used to enhance and expand core operations. An Enrichment Program is designed for trainees and
young investigators in the fields of nonmalignant hematology and for senior investigators who wish to enter this
field. The Research Base is drawn from both the University of Utah and other institutions, with half of the
members belonging to institutions outside of Utah. We have increased the Research base from 22 to 38 with
the addition of ~4 investigators each year. The goals of the CIHD are to be a national resource for studies
involving iron and heme and to inspire the next generation of investigators focu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10899694
- **Project number:** 5U54DK110858-09
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Anna E Beaudin
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $619,450
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-05 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10899694

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10899694, Center for Iron & Heme Disorders at the University of Utah (5U54DK110858-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10899694. Licensed CC0.

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