Erythropoietin delays disease onset in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis model

Erythropoietin (Epo) has been shown in the recent years to have neuroprotective activity in a variety of settings. In this study, we investigated its impact on the progression of paralysis in a mouse model simulating the human disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We found that Epo can delay the onset of motor deterioration in transgenic SOD G93A mice without prolonging their survival. Notably this effect was selective for the females only. These initial findings encourage further investigation of this biological avenue in the search for improved remedies for this fatal disease. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.