Abstract: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a acid glycoprotein with biological activity mainly secreted by the human kidney, which can promote the proliferation, differentiation and maturation of erythroid progenitor cells under normal physiological conditions. It plays an important role in the formation of red blood cells and bone marrow hematopoiesis, and is mainly used in the treatment of chronic anemia in medicine. In recent years，more and more studies have shown that EPO has neuroprotective effects and can regulate the nervous system through different signal transduction pathways. Among them, EPO / EPOR (Erythropoietin receptor, EPOR) has been widely studied in the neurodegenerative diseases field. The interaction between EPO and EPOR can activate different downstream target molecules, and finally achieve the purpose of regulating the nervous system. EPO has potential therapeutic effects in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson′s disease, Alzheimer′s disease, Spinal cord injury and Brain ischemia. This review focused on the recent implications of erythropoietin in neurodegenerative diseases.

Key words: erythropoietin, neuroprotection, neurodegenerative diseases