Feline erythropoietin (fEPO)

Feline erythropoietin (fEPO) is a vital glycoprotein hormone primarily synthesized by the peritubular interstitial cells of the kidney in cats. Its fundamental role is the regulation of erythropoiesis, where it binds to specific erythropoietin receptors on erythroid precursor cells in the bone marrow to prevent apoptosis and stimulate maturation into functional erythrocytes (UniProt P18802). In feline clinical medicine, chronic kidney disease often leads to a deficiency in endogenous fEPO, resulting in severe non-regenerative anemia. The therapeutic strategy of delivering the feline erythropoietin gene into skeletal muscle cells, often using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, aims to establish the muscle as a long-term endocrine source of the hormone (PMID: 15933255). This approach is specifically designed to mitigate the high risk of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA), a life-threatening condition that occurs when cats develop neutralizing antibodies against exogenous recombinant human or even feline erythropoietin proteins (PMID: 10859238). While promising, this gene therapy requires careful monitoring to prevent overproduction of red blood cells, which can lead to hyperviscosity and hypertension.

Other names

Erythropoietin (Felis catus)fEPO geneEPOHematopoietin

Binding to and activation of the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) on erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow, which triggers the JAK2/STAT5 signaling pathway to promote the proliferation and differentiation of red blood cells (UniProt P18802; PMID: 10859238).