Renoprotection and Mechanisms of Erythropoietin and Its Derivatives Helix B Surface Peptide in Kidney Injuries

The renoprotection of erythropoietin (EPO) and its derivatives such as helix B surface peptide (HBSP) have attracted a great deal of attention from scientists and clinicians alike. The evolutional achievement in the dissociation of tissue protection and erythropoiesis is obtained through HBSP characterisation and synthesis. We performed a series of studies using EPO, as well as HBSP, in a variety of biological models subjected to transplant-related renal injuries such as ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and/or immunosuppressant nephrotoxicity. In this short review, we would like to address the effects of EPO in different formats, and its underlying mechanisms with focuses on apoptosis and inflammation in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo renal injury models, and to further explore potential applications and challenges in humans.