Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 (BMP-6) is a member of the TGF-β superfamily encoded by the BMP6 gene. Bone morphogenetic proteins are known to induce the growth of bone and cartilage. BMP-6 has been shown to induce the expression of markers for osteoblasts, which are cells responsible for bone formation, in mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, a study published in the journal “Nature Genetics” in 2009 described another function of BMP-6. It was identified as a key regulator of hepcidin, a small peptide secreted by the liver and the major regulator of mammalian iron metabolism.