Patent ID: 8916608

Claim:
A method of screening for compounds that stimulate expression of a gamma-globin gene, wherein said method comprises the steps of: contacting a recombinant non-erythroid host cell with a test compound, wherein the recombinant non-erythroid host cell comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence encoding a DNA methyltransferase I (DNMT1) polypeptide and a nucleic acid sequence encoding a detectable polypeptide operably linked to a human gamma-globin gene promoter; and measuring the amount of the detectable polypeptide in the presence and absence of the test compound, wherein an increase in the amount of the detectable polypeptide in the presence of the test compound compared to the amount of the detectable polypeptide in the absence of the test compound identifies a selected test compound as a compound that stimulates expression of the gamma-globin gene.