Erythropoietin: in vitro and in vivo studies of the regulation of erythropoiesis.

The application of recombinant DNA technology to the field of hematology has contributed greatly to our understanding of Epo gene structure and regulation, cellular expression and regulation of hormone production, pharmacokinetics, receptor cell biology and, ultimately, the value of this hormone as a therapeutic. Areas that will undoubtedly prove fruitful for future research include the mechanisms by which hypoxia influences gene expression, the structure/function relationships of the Epo molecule, isolation and cloning of the gene for the Epo receptor, mechanisms of transmembrane signaling and nuclear activation, and the further application of recombinant human Epo in the treatment of other diseases. Epo is but one example of the contribution of modern biology to the understanding of growth factor regulation of hematopoiesis and to the availability of these factors for clinical trial.