Hu Recom EPO, 50 µg

A glycoprotein growth factor from STEMCELL Technologies, Human Recombinant EPO is produced primarily in the kidney in response to hypoxia or anemia and acts as the principal physiological regulator of erythropoiesis. It binds a homodimeric cell surface receptor to activate JAK2/STAT5, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK pathways, stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells.

The protein is expressed in CHO cells and supplied as a lyophilized preparation after dialysis against phosphate-buffered saline. The predicted molecular mass of the EPO polypeptide is 18.4 kDa, although glycosylation causes it to migrate with an apparent molecular mass of 26–36 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Biological activity is determined using a TF-1 cell proliferation assay, with an EC50 of ≤ 0.6 ng/mL. The specific activity is approximately 220 IU/μg, calibrated against the third international reference preparation of EPO (NIBSC code: 11/170) by CFU assay on human bone marrow mononuclear cells. Purity is ≥ 95%, and endotoxin level is ≤ 0.2 EU/μg protein as measured by kinetic LAL analysis. Cross-reactivity has been demonstrated in mouse and rat systems.

For storage, the lyophilized product should be kept at -80 °C and is stable as supplied for 12 months from the date of receipt. Vials should be centrifuged before opening and reconstituted in sterile water to at least 0.1 mg/mL by pipetting the solution down the sides of the vial without vortexing. Optional dilution may be performed in D-PBS with 0.1% (w/v) BSA or with 2% fetal bovine serum.