Rational engineering of an erythropoietin fusion protein to treat hypoxia

Erythropoietin enhances oxygen delivery and reduces hypoxia-induced cell death, but its pro-thrombotic activity is problematic for use of erythropoietin in treating hypoxia. We constructed a fusion protein that stimulates red blood cell production and neuroprotection without triggering platelet production, a marker for thrombosis. The protein consists of an anti-glycophorin A nanobody and an erythropoietin mutant (L108A). The mutation reduces activation of erythropoietin receptor homodimers that induce erythropoiesis and thrombosis, but maintains the tissue-protective signaling. The binding of the nanobody element to glycophorin A rescues homodimeric erythropoietin receptor activation on red blood cell precursors. In a cell proliferation assay, the fusion protein is active at 10-14 M, allowing an estimate of the number of receptor-ligand complexes needed for signaling. This fusion protein stimulates erythroid cell proliferation in vitro and in mice, and shows neuroprotective activity in vitro. Our erythropoietin fusion protein presents a novel molecule for treating hypoxia.