Inherited mutation leads to overproduction of EPO

(University of Basel) A newly-discovered hereditary mutation is responsible for an increased production of erythropoietin (EPO) in the blood. This mutation causes a messenger RNA (mRNA) that is not normally involved in the formation of proteins to be reprogrammed so that it produces EPO, thus abnormally increasing the number of red blood cells. Researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel reported these findings in The New England Journa...