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Erythropoietin strikes a new cord

There are currently no effective means to treat acute spinal cord injury, except for glucocorticoids, which produce moderate benefits at best. A new study suggests erythropoietin, now recognized as a potent neuroprotective cytokine, as a potential treatment for spinal cord injury.

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Figure 1: Cellular actions of erythropoietin in the injured and ischemic spinal cord.

Courtesy of A. Louissaint

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Goldman, S., Nedergaard, M. Erythropoietin strikes a new cord. Nat Med 8, 785–787 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0802-785

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