Issue Cover (February 2020)

Front cover: Proper iron delivery is crucial for normal brain development and function. Here, we demonstrate H‐ferritin, traditionally considered an iron storage protein, to be a significant iron delivery protein during development. Our study profiles the cellular uptake mechanism for H‐ferritin in the brain, demonstrating that sex and genotype play a major role in iron uptake. Furthermore, our study uncovers the regional and cellular distribution of Tim‐2, the murine receptor for H‐ferritin. These findings together shed light on the basic mechanisms surrounding iron delivery to the brain, thus providing a promising new direction in the treatment of iron deficiency. Image content: Confocal image of P7 mouse brains immunolabeled for astrocytes (GFAP, yellow) and Tim‐2 (magenta). Nuclei are shown in cyan (DAPI). Tim‐2 signal is co‐localized with GFAP signal as well as in the surrounding microvasculature and neurons.Read the full preface   ‘Transferrin and H‐ferritin involvement in brain iron acquisition during postnatal development: impact of sex and genotype’ by B. Chiou, E. B. Neely, D. S. Mcdevitt, I. A. Simpson, J. R. Connor ( J. Neurochem . 2020, vol. 152 (3), pp. 381–396) on doi: 10.1111/jnc.14834