Gene Therapy for Diabetic Neuropathy

Erythropoietin (EPO) has putative neuroprotective effects, but systemic delivery of EPO causes a rise in hematocrit. Now, researchers have tested the effects of a gene therapy approach in a mouse model of diabetic neuropathy. Two weeks after using streptozotocin to induce diabetes in mice, the researchers subcutaneously injected into the mice either placebo or EPO, packaged in a nonreplicating herpes virus.

Compared with placebo-treated diabetic mice, those treated with EPO had no increase in hematocrit but had significantly better dermal sensitivity to heat, epidermal nerve terminal density, and sudomotor function in response to pilocarpine, and signifcantly reduced activation of putative apoptotic pathways, including a decrease in AKT acti…