The use of Epo in medical practice is increasing constantly. It has revolutionized how we think of blood transfusion in medicine and surgery. Moreover, it has become widely known to scientists, physicians, biotech and pharmaceutical executives and the general public. Additionally, the past ten years have seen important advances in our knowledge and understanding of its action both within and outside of the hematopoietic system. Until now, there has been no single source that contains up-to-date information on Epo addressing the array of subjects that this book presents. The book covers all aspects from developmental biology to specific topics such as medical applications of recombinant Epo, receptor biology, mechanisms of Epo activity, structure/activity relationship, disease states and important actions on non-hematopoietic organs and tissues, including the central nervous system, heart, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive organs and endothelium.