ABSTRACT
Twelve years ago, shortly after cloning of the erythropoietin (EPO) gene [1,2] the first patients on dialysis were treated with recombinant human erythro poietin (rhEPO), hoping to improve the anemia that occurs in most patients with chronic renal disease [3,4]. The success of this treatment has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Meanwhile, worldwide, approximately 350,000 patients with chronic renal failure receive rhEPO regularly, the hor mone is increasingly used for other indications, and alternative treatment strat egies that are equally effective but less expensive may become possible in the future. At the same time, the availability of EPO genomic and complemen tary DNA, and of sufficient amounts of EPO protein, has allowed us to learn a lot about the physiology and pathophysiology of this hormone. One of the most exciting aspects of this research is the partial characterization of mecha nisms of oxygen-dependent gene control.
