Genetics of group of proteins.

Anemia is when you do not have enough iron in your blood. Iron helps carry oxygen in red blood cells. We have simple lab tests to check how much iron is in our blood. Signs of anemia are shortness of breath. Feeling tired. Headache. Or feeling dizzy or fainting. It is often short lived. But it can be a long term problem. Some diseases can cause anemia. They may lower our number of red blood cells. Or stop us from making more. If you do not eat enough foods with iron in them, it can cause anemia. Gene changes can play a role in low iron too. These gene changes may affect the proteins they make. Or how much of a certain protein we make. Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will use BioVU to study anemia. They will look for people with and without low iron. Then they will look for gene changes. Both gene changes that affect the protein they make. And those that may affect how much of a protein we make. Then they will look for patients with those gene changes. They will see what other things the patients may have. They may have side effects from certain drugs. Or they may have other diseases. The scientists want to find out if there is a link between the gene changes and these other things too. The goal is to learn more about the role of these gene changes. They want to find out how they link to low iron. And if they link to any other problems. Like side effects from a certain type of drug. Or a different disease. The more we learn, the better we can help treat our patients. We may find new ways to help people with low iron. Or a new way to treat a disease.