Introduction Iron is indispensable for oxygen transport and cellular metabolism, owing to its capacity to form coordination complexes with diverse ligands, and to cycle between Fe2+ (ferrous) and Fe3+ (ferric) states [1]. However, unshielded redox-active iron is potentially toxic and promotes oxidative damage by catalysing the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals via Fenton chemistry [2]. Accordingly, iron homeostasis is tightly controlled at systemic and cellular levels.
