Erythropoietin (EPO), known to the general public mainly as a doping agent popular among cyclists, may help people suffering from life-threatening cerebral malaria, informs the EurekAlert website.
One in two people in the world – around 3,3 billion in total – can develop malaria. Despite numerous preventive measures, 250 million people suffer from this mosquito-borne disease every year, and about 700 – mostly children – die.
Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have found that erythropoietin can significantly reduce mortality from cerebral malaria – the second leading cause of malaria-related deaths, along with anemia.
Under natural conditions, erythropoietin is mainly produced in the kidneys, but also in other tissues, including brain tissue. It stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow, and may also protect brain cells from damage.
It was observed that children who survived cerebral malaria had more EPO in their cerebrospinal fluid. When EPO was administered to laboratory mice, the death rate from cerebral malaria among them dropped from 100%. almost to zero. The mechanism of the protective action is not yet clear. In any case, the administration of erythropoietin has no effect on the malaria-causing parasite – it is necessary to use conventional drugs, such as, for example, quinine derivatives.