Production of Erythropoietin (EPO)
Role of Erythropoietin in the Body
Our kidneys produce a substance called Erythropoietin (EPO) — a hormone that enters the bone marrow through the bloodstream. EPO stimulates bone marrow cells to divide and produce more red blood cells (RBCs).
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People with severely damaged or non-functioning kidneys often require regular dialysis.
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During dialysis, EPO is removed from the blood, leading to a significant reduction in RBC count.
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As a result, the patient develops anemia.
Preparation Process of EPO
The process of preparing EPO is as follows:
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Isolation of EPO gene from the human body.
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Insertion of the gene into a suitable vector (plasmid) by cutting it with restriction enzymes and joining it using ligase enzymes.
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Introduction of recombinant DNA into E. coli bacteria.
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Cultivation of thousands of E. coli bacteria containing the recombinant DNA in a culture medium.
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Extraction of EPO protein from E. coli to prepare the drug.
Medical Application
Thousands of kidney patients are injected with EPO produced in E. coli to treat anemia effectively.