AKI remains a major public health concern. Despite years of investigation, no intervention
has been demonstrated to reliably prevent AKI in humans. Thus, development of novel
therapeutic targets is urgently needed. An important role of iron in the pathophysiology of
AKI has been recognized for over three decades. When present in excess and in
nonphysiologic labile forms, iron is toxic to the kidneys and multiple other organs, whereas
iron chelation is protective across a broad spectrum of insults. In humans, small studies have …