Anemia Cure

For the millions of people who suffer from chronic kidney disease, anemia is a constant concern. As the kidneys degenerate, their ability to produce erythropoietin (EPO) – a hormone that triggers the production of red blood cells – is compromised. As a result, too little hemoglobin is available to carry oxygen around the body, and patients can experience fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and an inability to think clearly. Over time, the lack of oxygen can also cause permanent damage to the brain, heart and other vital organs.

While EPO has been made commercially, it is costly and needs to be administered regularly by transfusion. Recently, a new approach was developed that uses stem cells from human cord blood to produce EPO-generating cells. The cells were transplanted into the kidneys of mice suffering from a type of kidney anemia. Four weeks later, after a single transplant, EPO levels in the treated animals were 20 times higher than in the controls, and their hemoglobin levels remained normal for the remainder of their seven-month lifespan.