Membrane-permeable iron chelators, such as deferiprone, can shuttle iron within the cell between endosomes (e), mitochondria (m), the nucleus, and the cytoplasm. Chelator-mediated mobilization of the metal from iron-overloaded organelles or cellular deposits reduces the local formation of toxic hydroxyl-radical and results in transport of the iron across membranes, delivery of the metal to transferrin, and subsequent transferrin receptor (TfR)–mediated acquisition of iron by erythroid progenitor (ep) cells to be used for heme biosynthesis.