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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Direct Induction of Hemogenic Endothelium and Blood by Overexpression of Transcription Factors in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Published on: December 3, 2015
Sustained enhancement of OCTN1 transporter expression in association with hydroxyurea induced γ-globin expression in
Aisha L Walker1, Solomon F Ofori-Acquah2
1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Translational and International Hematology, Vascular Medicine Institute, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Abstract:
The clinical benefits of hydroxyurea (HU) treatment in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are due largely to increased γ-globin expression. However, mechanisms that control γ-globin expression by HU in erythroid progenitors are incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of two HU transporters, urea transporter B (UTB) and organic cation/carnitine transporter 1 (OCTN1), in this process. Endogenous expression of both transporters peaked toward the end of erythroid differentiation. However, unlike UTB, HU-induced OCTN1 expression correlated positively with γ-globin level and was sustained throughout the period of induction. These results highlight a potential major role for OCTN1 in promoting the efficacy of HU.
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