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Ara-290, Cibinetide
The story
In 2004 Michael Brines and Anthony Cerami found that EPO protects the brain, heart and kidney through a different receptor from the one that makes red blood cells: the EPO receptor paired with CD131. In 2008 they showed that small peptides copied from helix B of EPO carry the protection with no red-cell effect, and Ara-290 was born. Albert Dahan's group at Leiden University in the Netherlands took it into people with small nerve fibre loss from sarcoidosis, and then into type 2 diabetes. Daniel Culver's group at the Cleveland Clinic confirmed that 4 mg a day for 28 days regrows corneal nerve fibres.
Sources
Read the original sources
- Erythropoietin mediates tissue protection through an erythropoietin and common beta-subunit heteroreceptor (Summary · checked 2026-10-13)
- Nonerythropoietic tissue-protective peptides derived from erythropoietin (2008 · Abstract and indexed figures; originating model experiments · checked 2026-10-13)
- ARA 290 improves symptoms in patients with sarcoidosis-associated small nerve fiber loss and increases corneal nerve fiber density (Abstract · checked 2026-10-13)
- Cibinetide: sarcoidosis small nerve fibre trial (Culver and colleagues · 2017 · Published abstract · checked 2026-10-08)