“…In vitro studies demonstrate that known inducers of K562 erythroid differentiation, such as hydroxyurea, erythropoietin, butyrates and 5-azacytidine, are also capable of inducing HbF production when administered singularly or in combination with cultures of normal erythroid cells (Al-Khatti et al, 1988;Fibach et al, 1993a;Ikuta et al, 1998). In this respect, butyric acid, hydroxyurea and 5-azacytidine have been the object of recent reports focused on in vivo treatment of b-thalassaemia patients (Ley et al, 1982(Ley et al, , 1983Charache et al, 1983Charache et al, , 1992Rodgers et al, 1990Rodgers et al, , 1993Dover et al, 1992;Lowrey & Nienhuis, 1993;Perrine et al, 1993;Sher et al, 1995;.…”