Heme oxygenase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in heme degradation in order to generate
biliverdin, carbon monoxide (CO), and iron. The inducible form of the enzyme, heme …

The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) enzyme system remains an attractive therapeutic target for
the treatment of inflammatory conditions. HO-1, a cellular stress protein, serves a vital …

Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a central role in the
pathogenesis of many pulmonary diseases including adult respiratory distress syndrome …

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is linked to both cigarette smoking and
genetic determinants. We have previously identified iron-responsive element–binding …

Although oxygen is a prerequisite to life, at concentrations beyond the physiological limits it
may be hazardous to the cells. Since the lungs are directly exposed to very high amounts of …

The discovery of the gaseous molecule nitric oxide in 1987 unraveled investigations on its
functional role in the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of biological and pathological …

The heme-heme oxygenase system has recently been recognized to possess important
regulatory properties. It is tightly involved in both physiological as well as pathophysiological …

Carbon monoxide (CO), a gaseous second messenger, arises in biological systems during
the oxidative catabolism of heme by the heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes. HO exists as …

Nuclear factor, erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) belongs to the Cap'n'collar/basic region
leucine zipper (CNC-bZIP) transcription factor family, and is activated by diverse oxidants …

Organisms on our planet have evolved in an oxidizing environment that is intrinsically
inimical to life, and cells have been forced to devise means of protecting themselves. One of …