DUPLICITE ROLE OF BMPs (BONE MORPHOGENIC PROTEINS)

While one will see their role in bone formation (BMP3) as evidently suggested by their name, in cancer medicine, the BMPs are more important in their potential to direct metastatic disease to the  bones, to affect response to Androgen in metastatic Prostate cancers (BMP2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alteration of gene expression in response to bone morphogenetic protein-2 in androgen-dependent human prostate cancer LNCaP cells.

Kumagai T, Tomari K, Shimizu T, Takeda K.

Source

Department of Hygiene-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba 278-8510, Japan.

Abstract

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, a multifunctional member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily with powerful osteoinductive effects, has various biological activities in a variety of cells. We observed that BMP-2 inhibits cell proliferation in the androgen-dependent human prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. To investigate the mechanism of inhibition of androgen-dependent growth by BMP-2, we compared the gene expression in LNCaP cells treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to that of LNCaP cells treated with DHT and BMP-2, using DNA microarray analysis......"
===================================================

BUT ALSO TO AFFECT THE METABOLISM OF IRON

ie.." BMP6 Plays a role in joint integrity in adults. Controls iron homeostasis via regulation of hepcidin."WIKIPEDIA.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF CYTOKINES THAT ARE MADE IN FAMILY WITH EACH OF THE MEMBERS AFFECTING VARIOUS TARGET CELLS, TO ACHIEVE A PANOPLY OF EFFECTS.
Hepcidin is one of the major modulator (regulatory hormone)of Iron  metabolism.  It decreases significantly in Hemochromatosis while increase in Iron deficiency as if increasing liver ability to store Iron!

The gene encoding the iron regulatory peptide hepcidin is regulated by anemia, hypoxia, and inflammation

Gaël Nicolas,¹et al.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

removal of cellular Iron is "toxic" to certain bacterial and lack of Iron leads to Increase of transferrins (Iron carriers) increasing their chance to interact with class I MHC decreasing innate immunologic defense A BIG WAY FOR CANCER CELLS TO ESCAPE IMMUNOLOGIC SURVEILLANCE.   SURPRISE SURPRISE IRON DEFICIENCY IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE CANCER!