News briefs from the journal CHEST, March 2005
...d inflammatory response and significantly elevated erythropoietin levels, a hormone which fosters red blood cell pro...prognosis of patients with COPD would benefit from erythropoietin and iron supplements. The study appears in the March issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of th...Existing therapies applied to new use in broader spectrum of cancer care
...Wong said that in animal studies, a single dose of erythropoietin (EPO) one hour after whole brain irradiation dramatically improved learning and memory function in mice. "In our study, the animals that received radiation treatment alone showed considerable cognitive impairment," Wong said. "...Anaemia treatment could worsen cancer prognosis
...cast doubt over the value of treating anaemia with erythropoietin (epoetin beta) among patients who have cancer. Res...roved cancer control or survival. On the contrary, erythropoietin might impair disease control when manifest cancer is irradiated. Future erythropoietin trials should...Protecting against heart attack: The beat goes on thanks to erythropoietin
...ina, have developed a strategy whereby delivery of erythropoietin (EPO), shortly after ischemic injury, was shown to enhance heart function and prevent subsequent smaller attacks by inhibiting cardiac myocyte cell death. These results, reported in the October 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, demon...Jefferson scientists find anemia drug may help lessen effects of heart attack
...on Medical College have found that the anemia drug erythropoietin (EPO) may lessen the effects of a heart attack due to ischemia, or lack of oxygen, by protecting heart cells from dying. EPO is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates the body to produce more red blood cells. Scientists led by Walter Koch, Ph...Anemia drug reduces transfusions and chemotherapy-related fatigue
...ating anemia has been the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). However, to sufficiently increase levels of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells) and reduce the number of blood transfusions, a patient must receive treatment three times a week. The erythropoietic protein darbepoet...Nitric oxide crucial to respiration
...tments -- such as blood transfusions or drugs like erythropoietin that boost red blood cell production -- either don't work, or even lead to death. The findings could also explain why there is a direct relationship between high red blood cell counts and stroke, heart attack and hypertension, said the scientists. Ad...The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recognizes National Cancer Fatigue Awareness Day
...e and review the available data guiding the use of erythropoietin in these patients. said Paul Sabbatini, MD, Assis...s and is associated with inappropriately low serum erythropoietin production. Symptoms of anemia in patients range from shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and di...Cyclists' 'blood doping' associated with cerebral blood clots
...and MRI, the cause was determined to be his use of erythropoietin (EPO) and growth hormone, coupled with high dose consumption of vitamin A. "While we cannot attribute the appearance of the thrombosis to a single doping agent, the combination of drugs and high dosing of vitamins likely produced this athletes cond...