Treatment with anti-IL-6 receptor antibody prevented increase in serum hepcidin levels and improved anemia in mice inoculated with IL-6–producing lung carcinoma cells

Abstract

Our results suggest that overproduction of hepcidin by IL-6 signaling might be a major factor that leads to functionally iron-deficient cancer-related anemia in the LC-06-JCK model. We demonstrated that inhibition of the IL-6 signaling pathway by MR16-1 treatment resulted in significant recovery of iron-deficiency anemia and alleviation of cancer-related symptoms. These results indicate that IL-6 signaling might be one possible target pathway to treat cancer-related anemia disorders.