The winding pathway to erythropoietin along the chemistry-biology frontier: a success at last

Abstract

The total synthesis of a homogeneous erythropoietin (EPO), possessing the native amino acid sequence and chitobiose glycans at each of the three wild-type sites of N glycosylation, has been accomplished in our laboratory. We provide herein an account of our decade-long research effort en route to this formidable target compound. The optimization of the synergy of the two bedrock sciences we now call biology and chemistry was central to the success of the synthesis of EPO.

Keywords: amino acids; erythropoietin; glycoprotein; synthetic methods; total synthesis.