To assess the effects of cryogel skeletons and the PBAA coating on encapsulated cell therapies, we engineered a HEK cell line to secrete erythropoietin (EPO), a model therapeutic protein commonly administered to treat anemia (red blood cell deficiency) associated with a variety of diseases including cancer, renal failure, and HIV/AIDS (75). This evidence concerns the gene EPO and anemia (phenotype).