Heme oxygenase 1
Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), encoded by HMOX1, is an inducible stress-response enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of heme into biologically active products, including biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and free iron.
Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), encoded by HMOX1, is an inducible stress-response enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of heme into biologically active products, including biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and free iron. It is widely regarded as a cytoprotective molecule because its expression is strongly upregulated by oxidative stress, inflammation, and other cellular insults. In many tissues, HO-1 functions as part of the antioxidant defense network downstream of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its negative regulator kelch like ECH associated protein 1 (KEAP1), helping cells adapt to redox imbalance and injury.
Biomedically, HO-1 is frequently studied in contexts involving oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, ferroptosis, and inflammatory signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa B. Because of this, it is often examined as a mechanistic target or biomarker in diseases including ischemic injury, kidney disease, neurodegeneration-related dysfunction, and cancer. In experimental studies, increased HO-1 expression is commonly interpreted as evidence of activation of antioxidant programs, often alongside Nrf2, NQO1, and related protective pathways.
Where the papers sit
17 papers from the last 6 months study heme oxygenase 1 directly · updated from PubMed 12 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 1 human data · 16 preclinical
Themes one subject · 1 paradigm shift
Those 17 are all about one subject.
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Oxidative Stress and Tissue Injury
Oxidative stress and tissue injury are linked through Nrf2/HO-1 regulation across cancer, neurological, renal, vascular, intestinal and reproductive models. Most interventions activate this axis to limit ferroptosis, inflammation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and barrier damage, often alongside NF-κB/NLRP3 or endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways. Nanoparticles, plant compounds, acupuncture and exosomal miRNAs are being explored to strengthen these defenses. DMAMCL provides a counterpoint by exploiting HMOX1 or STEAP3 to induce ferroptosis in neuroblastoma, leaving tissue-specific effects and clinical translation unresolved.
HO-1 can promote rather than suppress ferroptosis in disease-specific contexts
In DMAMCL-treated neuroblastoma, the established assumption that HO-1 is cytoprotective and limits ferroptosis was reversed: DMAMCL-induced HO-1 was required for ferroptosis in MYCN-amplified tumors, because HMOX1 knockdown attenuated the effect and HMOX1 overexpression reproduced it 42444025Jul. In maternal polystyrene-nanoplastic-exposed mice and their offspring’s ovarian granulosa-cell models, activation of the HIF-1α/HO-1 axis accompanied iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and ferroptotic ovarian injury, while inhibiting the upstream HIF-1α pathway or ferroptosis rescued cell viability 42285443Jun. Together, these findings replace the default view of HO-1 as uniformly antioxidant and ferroptosis-suppressing with a context-dependent model in which its induction can instead contribute to ferroptotic damage.
Papers
The 17 papers from the last 6 months that study heme oxygenase 1 directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Oxidative Stress and Tissue Injury (17)
- p-Coumaric acid inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through promoting ROS accumulation. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42720830
- Neuroprotective Effect of Isorhapontigenin (ISO) Against LPS-Induced Neurodegenerative Condition via TLR4/RAGE-Mediated p-NF-kB Activation. Molecular neurobiology · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700283
- Shengqingjiangzhuo Capsules Alleviates Renal Fibrosis by Targeting Glomerular Endothelial Cells Exosome miR-31-5p/HO-1 to Suppress Tubular Epithelial Cells Ferroptosis. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology · 28 Aug 2026 PMID 42661282
- Nano-Rosmarinic Acid Protects Against Chlorfenapyr-Induced Testicular Toxicity Through Modulation of NRF2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathways. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42478942
- Isoorientin inhibits oxidative stress to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mice via GSK3β/Nrf2 axis. Metabolic brain disease · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42467274
- DMAMCL induces ferroptosis in neuroblastoma by targeting HMOX1 in MYCN-amplified subtypes whereas targeting STEAP3 in MYCN-nonamplified subtypes. Redox report : communications in free radical research · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42444025
- Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics triggers ovarian injury in mice offspring: Ferroptosis mediated by the HIF-1α/HO-1 pathway. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42285443
- Thymol nanoparticles ameliorate oxaliplatin-induced cognitive impairment via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in rats. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 27 May 2026 PMID 42202464
- Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2-Dependent Ferroptosis Suppression by Salvianolic Acid B Preserves Microvascular Integrity and Reduces Risk Factors for Hemorrhagic Transformation After Cerebral Infarction. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 26 May 2026 PMID 42186809
- Mechanistic investigation of the ameliorative effect of crocin on arsenic trioxide-induced HT22 nerve cells injury based on network pharmacology and in vitro validation. Neuroscience · 22 May 2026 PMID 42173304
- Electroacupuncture protects intestinal barrier integrity in MAFLD mice and is associated with a macrophage α7nAChR/exosomal miR-217-5p/epithelial HO-1 signaling axis. International immunopharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42161050
- Poliumoside alleviates oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial function to alleviate ischemic stroke injury. European journal of pharmacology · 14 May 2026 PMID 42134761
- Acupuncture enhances warm kidney and spleen granules efficacy in diabetic diarrhea through synergistic p300/CBP inhibition and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway activation. Molecular immunology · 9 May 2026 PMID 42105678
- Eriodictyol alleviates diabetic limb ischemia/reperfusion injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway-mediated antioxidant, antiapoptotic and mitochondrial protective effects. International immunopharmacology · 6 May 2026 PMID 42090904
- EGCG-loaded nanoparticles attenuate post-SAH white matter injury by targeting HO-1/S100A10 to suppress oxidative stress-induced reactive astrocytes. Redox report : communications in free radical research · 28 Apr 2026 PMID 42050372
- Inhibition of ferroptosis exerts renal protective effects in membranous nephropathy rats via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. European journal of pharmacology · 27 Apr 2026 PMID 42044765
- SIRT1 protects against UVA-induced photoaging by suppressing oxidative stress and FOXO3a acetylation in human dermal fibroblasts. Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology · 25 Apr 2026 PMID 42033852
By study type
Human data, design not indexed (1)
- SIRT1 protects against UVA-induced photoaging by suppressing oxidative stress and FOXO3a acetylation in human dermal fibroblasts. Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology · 25 Apr 2026 PMID 42033852
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (16)
- p-Coumaric acid inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through promoting ROS accumulation. Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42720830
- Neuroprotective Effect of Isorhapontigenin (ISO) Against LPS-Induced Neurodegenerative Condition via TLR4/RAGE-Mediated p-NF-kB Activation. Molecular neurobiology · 5 Sept 2026 PMID 42700283
- Shengqingjiangzhuo Capsules Alleviates Renal Fibrosis by Targeting Glomerular Endothelial Cells Exosome miR-31-5p/HO-1 to Suppress Tubular Epithelial Cells Ferroptosis. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology · 28 Aug 2026 PMID 42661282
- Nano-Rosmarinic Acid Protects Against Chlorfenapyr-Induced Testicular Toxicity Through Modulation of NRF2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathways. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 21 Jul 2026 PMID 42478942
- Isoorientin inhibits oxidative stress to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mice via GSK3β/Nrf2 axis. Metabolic brain disease · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42467274
- DMAMCL induces ferroptosis in neuroblastoma by targeting HMOX1 in MYCN-amplified subtypes whereas targeting STEAP3 in MYCN-nonamplified subtypes. Redox report : communications in free radical research · 14 Jul 2026 PMID 42444025
- Maternal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics triggers ovarian injury in mice offspring: Ferroptosis mediated by the HIF-1α/HO-1 pathway. Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42285443
- Thymol nanoparticles ameliorate oxaliplatin-induced cognitive impairment via modulation of Nrf2/HO-1, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling in rats. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie · 27 May 2026 PMID 42202464
- Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2-Dependent Ferroptosis Suppression by Salvianolic Acid B Preserves Microvascular Integrity and Reduces Risk Factors for Hemorrhagic Transformation After Cerebral Infarction. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 26 May 2026 PMID 42186809
- Mechanistic investigation of the ameliorative effect of crocin on arsenic trioxide-induced HT22 nerve cells injury based on network pharmacology and in vitro validation. Neuroscience · 22 May 2026 PMID 42173304
- Electroacupuncture protects intestinal barrier integrity in MAFLD mice and is associated with a macrophage α7nAChR/exosomal miR-217-5p/epithelial HO-1 signaling axis. International immunopharmacology · 20 May 2026 PMID 42161050
- Poliumoside alleviates oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial function to alleviate ischemic stroke injury. European journal of pharmacology · 14 May 2026 PMID 42134761
- Acupuncture enhances warm kidney and spleen granules efficacy in diabetic diarrhea through synergistic p300/CBP inhibition and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway activation. Molecular immunology · 9 May 2026 PMID 42105678
- Eriodictyol alleviates diabetic limb ischemia/reperfusion injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway-mediated antioxidant, antiapoptotic and mitochondrial protective effects. International immunopharmacology · 6 May 2026 PMID 42090904
- EGCG-loaded nanoparticles attenuate post-SAH white matter injury by targeting HO-1/S100A10 to suppress oxidative stress-induced reactive astrocytes. Redox report : communications in free radical research · 28 Apr 2026 PMID 42050372
- Inhibition of ferroptosis exerts renal protective effects in membranous nephropathy rats via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. European journal of pharmacology · 27 Apr 2026 PMID 42044765
Written from 17 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-07-19. Last written: 2026-09-12 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.