title: The role of epigenetics in the induction of fetal hemoglobin: a combination therapy approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  β-thalassemia considers worldwide public health disorders. Novel fetal hemoglobin inducer agents such as thalidomide and sodium butyrate have been attended for ameliorating clinical complications of such disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used thalidomide and sodium butyrate for increasing the level of fetal hemoglobin in erythroid progenitors. Briefly, after isolation of CD133+ stem cells from umbilical cord blood and differentiation into erythroid lineage, erythroid progenitors were treated with thalidomide and sodium butyraye as single and combination. H3K4 histone methylation was evaluated following fetal hemoglobin induction using chromatin immuno percipitation (ChIP) technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of this study showed that the effect of thalidomide on increasing of H3K4 methylation was highest compared to sodium butyrate and combination of both agents (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consequently, our study of the epigenetic modification of the γ-globin suggests that histone H3K4 dimethylation are significant for the regulation of developmental stage-specific expression of the γ-globin genes.
authors: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Ahmadvand
authors: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mehrdad
authors: M
authors: Noruzinia
authors: Sarem Cell Research Center- SCRC, Sarem Women's Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Ali Dehghani
authors: AD
authors: Fard
authors: Genetics of noncommunicable disease research center, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran.
authors: Mostafa Montazer
authors: MM
authors: Zohour
authors: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Amin
authors: MA
authors: Tabatabaiefar
authors: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Masoud
authors: M
authors: Soleimani
authors: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Saeid
authors: S
authors: Kaviani
authors: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Saeid
authors: S
authors: Abroun
authors: Sarem Cell Research Center- SCRC, Sarem Women's Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Sahar
authors: S
authors: Beiranvand
authors: Health research center, Research Center of Thalassemia & Hemoglobinopathy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors: Najmaldin
authors: N
authors: Saki
keywords: Sodium butyrate; Thalidomide; β-thalassemia; γ-globin