The expression of erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) in brain and neuronal cells, and hypoxia-
responsive production of erythropoietin (Epo) in the brain suggests that the function of Epo
as a survival or viability factor may extend beyond hematopoietic tissue and erythroid
progenitor cells. Epo, produced by astrocytes and neurons, can be induced by hypoxia by
severalfold, and in animal models Epo administration is neuroprotective to ischemic
challenge. We characterized the human EpoR transcript in brain and neuronal cells to …