Effects of erythropoietin on the bone microenvironment

Abstract

It has been well established that blood and bone share a unique, regulatory relationship with one another, though the specifics of this relationship still remain unanswered. Erythropoietin (Epo) is known primarily for its role as a hematopoietic hormone. However, after the discovery of Epo receptor outside the hematopoietic tissues, Epo has been avidly studied for its possible nonhematopoietic effects. It has been proposed that Epo interacts with bone both directly, by activating bone marrow stromal cells, and indirectly, through signaling pathways on hematopoietic stem cells. Yet, the role of Epo in regulating skeletal maintenance and regeneration remains controversial. Here, we review the current state of knowledge pertaining to the effects of Epo on the skeleton.

Keywords::

• Erythropoietin
• osteopoiesis
• osteogenesis
• bone microenvironment

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Department of Defense (No. PC073952) and National Institutes of Health (Nos DK082481, DE020721, 1RC1DE020721, CA141426, and CA093900).

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.