World Brain Congress

Biography

Biography: Reza Nejat

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: During the last 25 years in an animal, ex-vivo, in-vitro and even in some clinical studies, cell protective effect of erythropoietin, a growth hormone used for erythropoiesis, was clarified even though the German Multicenter EPO Stroke Trial revealed that administration of this growth factor might even be hazardous to humans. On the contrary, a huge amount of studies thereafter, like the conclusion achieved in 2010 by Elmahdy and colleagues, could elucidate the anti-inflammatory cell-protective potentials of erythropoietin in neurological injuries and disorders recently categorized as, entities. The neuroprotective effect of this endo-hormone and its safety, if proved clinically might change the fate of many disabled patients in the future. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Near 270 articles including reviews and animal, in-vitro, ex-vivo and clinically case-control studies downloaded from science direct and PubMed websites were studied. Conclusion & Significance: It has long been believed that neural cells do not have the potentials to proliferate nor regenerate in case they encounter diverse sorts of insults including of hypoxic, hypoglycemic, oxidative and even apoptotic origin. A growing number of studies have shown that erythropoietin receptor is distributed extensively in the nervous system on the neurovascular unit cells and erythropoietin participates in many cell-protective anti-apoptotic pathways in the central and peripheral nervous systems. These pathways also have significant contributions to the plasticity of the neuronal tissues which by itself shows the probable role of this growth factor in even restoring of memory and intelligence in the post-injury period. A recent phase II study in infants with moderate to severe hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy has demonstrated EPO’s effect in diminishing MRI brain injury and improving the motor function of the infant's after 1 year. It seems to be a must to conduct more sophisticated methodological case-control studies to elucidate the magical effects of this endo-hormone.