Abstract: The invention regards a screening method for screening for modulators of the expression of hnf4&agr; from the hnf4&agr; P2 promoter region, which method comprises the steps of obtaining a transcription reporter system comprising a nucleotide construct comprising a reporter gene under control of the hnf4&agr; P2 promoter region corresponding to nucleotide 1 to 1447 of the sequence shown in the Sequence listing as SEQ ID No. 1 or a fragment thereof, contacting the transcription reporter system with a putative modulator and assaying for a change in the level of expression of the reporter gene.