How Do Erythropoietic Proteins Work?
Erythropoietin is a naturally occurring hormone made primarily by the kidneys. It acts on the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, which are necessary to supply oxygen throughout the body.2 Erythropoietic proteins used to treat anemia of chronic kidney disease stimulate erythropoiesis by exactly the same mechanism as the naturally-occurring erythropoietin.17 They bind to special cells in the bone marrow, which eventually produce mature red blood cells.
