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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells
Published on: July 9, 2015
Mechanisms of cell protection by heme oxygenase-1
Raffaella Gozzelino1, Viktoria Jeney, Miguel P Soares
1Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
Abstract:
Heme oxygenases (HO) catabolize free heme, that is, iron (Fe) protoporphyrin (IX), into equimolar amounts of Fe(2+), carbon monoxide (CO), and biliverdin. The stress-responsive HO-1 isoenzyme affords protection against programmed cell death. The mechanism underlying this cytoprotective effect relies on the ability of HO-1 to catabolize free heme and prevent it from sensitizing cells to undergo programmed cell death. This cytoprotective effect inhibits the pathogenesis of a variety of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
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