Microcytic anemia is a type of anemia defined by its small erythrocytes. Protheragen is leading the way in developing innovative and effective therapies to treat microcytic anemia, building off of our groundwork in microcytic anemia research. As your collaborative microcytic anemia drug development research partner, we assist you with unmatched support tailored to your research requirements.
Introduction to Microcytic Anemia
With a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of less than 80 fL, microcytic anemia denotes a heterogeneous group of disorders marked by inadequate hemoglobin production and small-sized red blood cells (RBCs). The most frequent etiologies are iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia, and lead intoxication.
Fig.1 Classification of anemia based on mean corpuscular volume (MCV). (Darshan B S D, et al., 2025)
Pathogenesis of Microcytic Anemia
The pathogenesis of microcytic anemia involves four distinct mechanisms:
- Iron deficiency anemia is caused by insufficient intake or absorption of iron, which interferes with the synthesis of heme, lowers hemoglobin production, and causes hypochromic microcytic erythrocytes.
- Thalassemias stem from genetic defects that result in ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolysis due to the presence of unstable hemoglobin variants.
- Anemia of chronic disease is caused by inflammation-driven hepcidin upregulation, trapping iron in macrophages and restricting erythropoiesis even when iron stores are adequate.
- Sideroblastic anemia results from utilization defects of iron in the mitochondria, including mutations in ALAS2/SLC25A38, or defects in SF3B1 splicing, leading to detrimental iron build up in erythroblasts and the consequent formation of ringed sideroblasts.
Therapy Development for Microcytic Anemia
| Drug Names |
Mechanism of Action |
Targets |
Phase |
| Ferrous Sulfate |
Replenishes iron stores by providing elemental iron for heme synthesis in erythroid precursors. |
DMT1 |
Approved |
| Iron Chelation Therapy |
Binds excess iron to form excretable complexes, reducing iron overload in transfusion-dependent anemias. |
Free iron (Fe3+), labile iron pool |
Approved |
| Synthetic EPO Therapy |
Stimulates erythroid progenitor proliferation and differentiation by mimicking endogenous erythropoietin. |
Erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) |
Approved |
| Pyridoxine |
Converts to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) cofactor, restoring ALAS2 enzyme activity in heme biosynthesis. |
δ-Aminolevulinic acid synthase 2 (ALAS2) |
Approved |
Disclaimer: Protheragen focuses on providing preclinical research services. This table is for information exchange purposes only. This table is not a treatment plan recommendation. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.
Our Services
At Protheragen, we focus on offering multi-faceted diagnostic and therapeutic development services in the incessant battle against anemias, microcytic anemia included. We cover the entire disease management spectrum, encompassing in vitro diagnostic (IVD) kit creation through to therapeutics. Through innovative technology and advanced scientific understanding, we focus on the formation of microcytic anemia precise and exceptional disease models.
Animal Model Development
- Pyogenic Bacterial Infection Model
- Mycobacterial Infection Model
- Parasitic Infection Model
- Pseudo-infectious Model
- IL-6 Overexpression Model
- Other Models
With a full range of pharmacodynamic (PD), pharmacokinetic (PK), and toxicology research services, Protheragen enables streamlined the development and regulatory processes of microcytic anemia therapies. For further information regarding our services along with the corresponding quotation details, do not hesitate to contact us.
References
- Darshan B S D, Sampathila N, Bairy G M, et al. Differential diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia from aplastic anemia using machine learning and explainable Artificial Intelligence utilizing blood attributes[J]. Scientific Reports, 2025, 15(1): 505.
