Skip to main content

menu
Pediatrics / Steiner Lab / Current Research Projects / Molecular Mechanisms of Erythropoietin in Developing Brain

 

Elucidation of the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Role of Erythropoietin in the Developing Brain

Neural Cells

Figure: Neural Cells

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is common cause of significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic options for HIE are limited and surviving infants are at high risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcome. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a key regulator of red blood cell production. Recent studies have demonstrated that EPO is important for normal neural development and that exogenous EPO therapy improves outcomes for infants affected by HIE.

EPO has been studied extensively in the context of red blood cell production, however the molecular mechanisms by which EPO acts in the nervous system are not well understood. The goal of this study is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of EPO in the developing brain.