Neuroprotective role of erythropoietin in spinal cord ischemic injury: Where have we been and where are we going?

I read with great interest the study recently published by Yamanaka and colleagues,1 reporting the results of the study aimed to pharmacologically induce b common receptor (bcR) subunit upregulation before ischemia to optimize the neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin (EPO). The authors hypothesized that bcR subunit upregulation by diazoxide (DZ) before ischemia amplifies the neuroprotective effects of EPO in mice after spinal cord injury (SCI). They reported that that optimal bcR upregulation occurred at 36 hours after DZ administration, and the optimal DZ dosage for bcR induction was 20 mg/kg. Motor function at 48 hours after treatment was significantly better preserved in the DZ with EPO group compared with all other groups, and was significantly better preserved in the DZ-only and EPO-only groups compared with the control group.