The neuroprotective effects of eritropoietin in the central nervous system [Eritropoetinin santral sinir sistemindeki'deki nöroprotektif etkileri]

Erythropoietin (Epo) acts primarily to stimulate erythroid cell production by supporting the survival, proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells but It is now widely known that erythropoietin does not only affect the haematopoietic system. Erythropoietin has a dominant role for neuroprotection, neurogenesis, and acting as a neurotrophic factor in the central nervous system. A wide variety of experimental studies have shown that Epo and its receptor are expressed in the nervous system also Epo exerts remarkable neuroprotection in cell culture and animal models of nervous system disorders. The discovery that erythropoietin exerts neuroprotective properties has opened new therapeutic avenues. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the neuroprotective properties of Epo. © 2012 Düzce Medical Journal