🛡️ARA-290
Helix B surface peptide of erythropoietin. Activates the tissue-protective receptor (EPOR/βcR) without erythropoietic effects. In clinical trials for neuropathic pain in sarcoidosis. Potent anti-inflammatory.
Helix B surface peptide of erythropoietinWhat Is ARA-290?
ARA-290 is an 11-amino-acid synthetic peptide corresponding to the helix B surface region of erythropoietin (EPO). It selectively activates the tissue-protective EPO receptor complex (EPOR/βcR — also called the innate repair receptor) without binding the classic erythropoietic receptor — avoiding hematopoietic side effects of full EPO.
Key Mechanisms
- EPOR/βcR (innate repair receptor) activation — anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, tissue-protective signalling
- Small fibre nerve regeneration — promotes intraepidermal nerve fibre density recovery in neuropathy models
- IL-10 induction — upregulates anti-inflammatory interleukin-10; reduces TNF-α, IL-6
- Macrophage M2 polarisation — shifts from pro-inflammatory to tissue-repair macrophage phenotype
Key References
- Brines M et al. "ARA 290, a nonerythropoietic peptide engineered from the EPO helix B surface." Mol Med, 2008;14:801–815.
- Dahan A et al. "Efficacy of ARA 290 in neuropathic pain in sarcoidosis." Pain, 2013;154(11):2219–2225.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — ARA-290 is engineered from EPO's helix B region to activate only the tissue-protective EPOR/βcR receptor, not the classic erythropoietic receptor, so it does not raise red blood cell count the way full EPO does.
Human trials have focused on neuropathic pain in sarcoidosis and diabetic neuropathy, evaluating small-fibre nerve regeneration and inflammatory markers.
Keep the sealed vial refrigerated at 2–8°C. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, keep refrigerated and use within the standard 28-day window — see the reconstitution calculator for concentration math.