[Advances in research on cytokine mimetic peptides/non-peptides stimulating hematopoiesis]

Cytokines such as erythropoietin (EPO) and thrombopoitein (TPO) and so on, which stimulate hematopoiesis, can regulate self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, maturation and programmed cell death of hematopoietic cells through specifically binding to surface receptors. Recently random phage display peptide libraries and other screening methods have been used to isolate mimetic including small peptides and non-peptides molecules, which can mimic the same effects as cytokines, such as EPO and TPO, and demonstrate the similar potency and activity as EPO and TPO in a panel of in vitro biological assays and in animal experiments. These approaches are critical to further research of interactive mechanisms between cytokine and receptor, receptor activation and rational design of other desired cytokine mimetic. This review concisely introduced recent advances in research on mimetic of EPO, TPO and other cytokines and future directions.