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Ferritin involved in the tumor development

  • Published:
The Chinese-German Journal of Clinical Oncology

Abstract

Ferritin is a kind of glycoprotein synthesized by the liver. Being the main form of stored iron in the body, it plays an important role in the iron balance. When the iron level in the body increases, ferritin can intake and storage the iron avoiding the cytotoxicity caused by the high level of intracellular iron; when body needs more iron, ferritin can release iron at any time. Recent studies have found that tumor tissue can synthesize and secrete ferritin. Ferritin levels increase in liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, leukemia and other malignancies. In this paper, we reviewed the relationship between the changed ferritin and the malignancy disease.

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Correspondence to Wenqing Wei.

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Wei, W. Ferritin involved in the tumor development. Chin. -Ger. J. Clin. Oncol. 12, 551–554 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10330-013-1237-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10330-013-1237-4

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