erythropoietin Erythropoietin - EPO -

EPO Substance: erythropoietin Erythropoietin - EPO - hit the headlines in 1998  when the Festina-sponsored team in cycling's 
Tour de France was disqualified  after being caught red-handed with large quantities of it and other banned  substances. 
Manufactured naturally by the kidneys, EPO stimulates the production  of red blood cells in bone marrow and regulates the 
concentration of red blood  cells and haemoglobin in the blood. This is useful for athletes, since red blood  cells shuttle 
oxygen to the cells, including muscle cells, enabling them to  operate aerobically. EPO is a peptide hormone and can be 
produced using  recombinant DNA technology. By injecting EPO, athletes aim to increase their  concentration of red blood 
cells and, consequently, their aerobic capacity.