DNA methylation at + 6 of Gγ-globin was significantly decreased in β-thalassemia/HbE erythroid progenitors treated with DMC (90.8 ± 3.2%), BDMC (91.2 ± 1.2%), T-DMC (91.6 ± 2.7%) and T-BDMC (92.2 ± 2.2%) compared to the DMSO treated cells (95.3 ± 1.1%) (P < 0.05) (Fig. 4d). Here, HBE1 is linked to thalassemia.