SLC40A1 and thalassemia: At present, certain drugs or agents, including apo−transferrin, ferroportin inhibitors (e.g., VIT−2763), hepcidin mimetic (e.g., Rusferticle or PTG−300), pyruvate kinase activators (e.g., Mitapivat) and ERFE antibodies, are being researched and developed in order to relieve ineffective erythropoiesis and improve anemia by targeting abnormal iron metabolism in thalassemia patients (Langer and Esrick, 2021).