Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

Erythropoietin (EPO), originally identified for its critical function in regulating production and survival of erythrocytes, is a member of the type 1 cytokine superfamily. Recent studies have shown that EPO has cytoprotective effects in a wide variety of cells and tissues. Here is presented the ana...

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Main Authors: Stephana Carelli, Giovanni Marfia, Anna Maria Di Giulio, Giorgio Ghilardi, Alfredo Gorio
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Neurology Research International
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/453179
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author Stephana Carelli
Giovanni Marfia
Anna Maria Di Giulio
Giorgio Ghilardi
Alfredo Gorio
author_facet Stephana Carelli
Giovanni Marfia
Anna Maria Di Giulio
Giorgio Ghilardi
Alfredo Gorio
author_sort Stephana Carelli
collection DOAJ
description Erythropoietin (EPO), originally identified for its critical function in regulating production and survival of erythrocytes, is a member of the type 1 cytokine superfamily. Recent studies have shown that EPO has cytoprotective effects in a wide variety of cells and tissues. Here is presented the analysis of EPO effects on spinal cord injury (SCI), considering both animal experiments concerning to mechanisms of neurodegeneration in SCI and EPO as a neuroprotective agent, and some evidences coming from ongoing clinical trials. The evidences underling that EPO could be a promising therapeutic agent in a variety of neurological insults, including trauma, are mounting. In particular, it is highlighted that administration of EPO or other recently generated EPO analogues such as asialo-EPO and carbamylated-EPO demonstrate interesting preclinical and clinical characteristics, rendering the evaluation of these tissue-protective agents imperative in human clinical trials. Moreover the demonstration of rhEPO and its analogues’ broad neuroprotective effects in animal models of cord lesion and in human trial like stroke, should encourage scientists and clinicians to design clinical trials assessing the efficacy of these pharmacological compounds on SCI.
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spelling doaj-art-b67305fa42064064bb81c8703d0b162c2025-08-20T03:20:56ZengWileyNeurology Research International2090-18522090-18602011-01-01201110.1155/2011/453179453179Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord InjuryStephana Carelli0Giovanni Marfia1Anna Maria Di Giulio2Giorgio Ghilardi3Alfredo Gorio4Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Polo H. San Paolo, Via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, ItalyLaboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Polo H. San Paolo, Via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, ItalyLaboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Polo H. San Paolo, Via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Polo H. San Paolo, Via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, ItalyLaboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Milan, Polo H. San Paolo, Via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, ItalyErythropoietin (EPO), originally identified for its critical function in regulating production and survival of erythrocytes, is a member of the type 1 cytokine superfamily. Recent studies have shown that EPO has cytoprotective effects in a wide variety of cells and tissues. Here is presented the analysis of EPO effects on spinal cord injury (SCI), considering both animal experiments concerning to mechanisms of neurodegeneration in SCI and EPO as a neuroprotective agent, and some evidences coming from ongoing clinical trials. The evidences underling that EPO could be a promising therapeutic agent in a variety of neurological insults, including trauma, are mounting. In particular, it is highlighted that administration of EPO or other recently generated EPO analogues such as asialo-EPO and carbamylated-EPO demonstrate interesting preclinical and clinical characteristics, rendering the evaluation of these tissue-protective agents imperative in human clinical trials. Moreover the demonstration of rhEPO and its analogues’ broad neuroprotective effects in animal models of cord lesion and in human trial like stroke, should encourage scientists and clinicians to design clinical trials assessing the efficacy of these pharmacological compounds on SCI.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/453179
spellingShingle Stephana Carelli
Giovanni Marfia
Anna Maria Di Giulio
Giorgio Ghilardi
Alfredo Gorio
Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
Neurology Research International
title Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
title_full Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
title_fullStr Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
title_full_unstemmed Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
title_short Erythropoietin: Recent Developments in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury
title_sort erythropoietin recent developments in the treatment of spinal cord injury
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/453179
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AT giorgioghilardi erythropoietinrecentdevelopmentsinthetreatmentofspinalcordinjury
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