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The Story of Erythropoietin

This article was published in December 2008 as part of the special ASH anniversary brochure, 50 Years in Hematology: Research That Revolutionized Patient Care.

Millions of patients worldwide have benefited from research on erythropoietin spanning many decades. In the last 15 years, epoetin alfa (Epo) has become one of the most widely used drugs created through recombinant DNA technology, in which a nearly identical form of a substance that naturally occurs in the body - in this case, erythropoietin - is created by replicating human DNA in a laboratory. Epo is used to treat anemia, a shortage of red blood cells. Since red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues and organs, anemia causes symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Epo treats this condition by imitating the action of the hormone erythropoietin, stimulating the body to produce more red blood cells. Patients who may benefit from Epo therapy include those with chronic kidney disease, those who are anemic from AIDS or from a wide variety of hematologic disorders (including multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes), and some cancer patients who are anemic from receiving chemotherapy. In selected patients, Epo may be used to reduce the need for blood transfusions in surgery.

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