question: what is the role of erythropoietin in cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction?
answer: In preclinical studies, erythropoietin improved cardiac function and perfusion by angiomyogenesis and protection of cardiomyocytes in myocardial infarction indicating that erythropoietin may play a role in the stimulation of cell regeneration under normal physiologic conditions and in patients with myocardial injury.  Epo overexpression was found to enhance the cellular regenerative properties of MSCs by both autocrine and paracrine pathways. However, results from recent clinical trials did not support beneficial effects of cytokine therapy with erythropoietin in patients with myocardial infarction.