ASSESSMENT OF THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF DARBEPOIETIN ALFA IN PRETERM INFANTS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目及 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 研究评估使用重组人促红细胞生成素（rHuEpo）在早产儿证明它是安全和有效的。 早产儿对人重组促红细胞生成素（Epo）的反应是增加网织红细胞，但多次皮下给药减少了其在NICU的常规使用。 达贝泊汀是促红细胞生成素的一种轻微改良形式，可每周或每隔一周给药一次，以预防和治疗早产儿贫血，这是一种有希望的替代方案，因为给药方案对极小婴儿更有效。除了刺激红细胞生成外，rHuEpo已被证明在发育中的大脑中具有保护作用，使其可能对极早产儿有益，这些早产儿有脑室内出血，缺氧缺血性损伤和发育迟缓的风险。 在动物模型中，达贝泊汀显示出与rHuEpo相同的保护作用，并且可以合理地假设，使用达贝泊汀将消除某些早产儿的输血需求，并减少其他早产儿的输血需求。 我们计划评估使用达贝泊治疗的早产儿的血液学和神经发育结果。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Studies evaluating the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) in preterm infants proved it to be safe and effective. Preterm infants respond to human recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) by increasing reticulocytes, yet the multiple subcutaneous doses diminish its routine use in the NICU. The use of darbepoetin, a slightly modified form of erythropoietin, can be administered once a week or every other week to prevent and treat anemia of prematurity, a promising alternative because the dosing schedule would be more efficacious for extremely small infants. In addition to stimulating red cell production, rHuEpo has been shown to be protective in the developing brain, making it possibly beneficial for very premature infants who are at risk for intraventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic injury, and developmental delay. In animal models, darbepoetin shows the same protective effect as rHuEpo, and it is reasonable to postulate that the use of darbepoetin will eliminate the need for transfusion in some preterm infants, and reduce the need in others. We plan to evaluate both hematologic and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants treated with darbepoetin.