Patent ID: 7288522

Claim:
A method for augmenting erythropoiesis comprising contacting erythroid progenitor cells with an amount effective to augment erythropoiesis of at least one active agent comprising a sequence of at least three contiguous amino acids of groups R 1 –R 8 in the sequence of general formula I R 1 –R 2 –R 3 –R 4 –R 5 –R 6 –R 7 –R 8 wherein R 1 is selected from Asp, Glu, Asn, Acpc, Ala, Me 2 Gly, Pro, Bet, Glu(NH 2 ), Gly, Asp(NH 2 ) and Suc; R 2 is selected from Arg, Lys, Ala, Orn, Ser(Ac), Sar, D-Arg and D-Lys; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of Val, Ala, Leu, norLeu, Ile, Gly, Pro, Aib, Acpc, Lys and Tyr; R 4 is selected from the group consisting of Tyr, Tyr(PO 3 ) 2 , Thr, Ser, Ala, homoSer and azaTyr; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of Ile, Ala, Leu, norLeu, Val and Gly, R 6 is selected from the group consisting of His, Arg or 6-NH 2 -Phe; R 7 is selected from the group consisting of Pro or Ala; and R 8 is selected from the group consisting of Phe, Phe(Br), Ile and Tyr; excluding sequences including R 4 as an N-terminal Tyr group, and wherein the active agent is not SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO:19, for a time and under conditions effective to augment erythropoiesis, wherein the method is used to treat anemia associated with a condition selected from the group consisting of chronic renal failure, end-stage renal disease, renal transplantation, cancer, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation.