Heme oxygenase-1: Emerging target of cancer therapy

Heme oxygenase-1 (ho-1) is a rate-limiting enzyme catalyzing oxidative degradation of cellular heme to liberate free iron,carbon monoxide (co) and biliverdin in mammalian cells. in addition to its primary role in heme catabolism,ho-1 exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory functions via the actions of biliverdin and co,respectively. ho-1 is highly induced in various disease states,including cancer. several lines of evidence have supported the implication of ho-1 in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. ho-1 deficiency in normal cells enhances dna damage and carcinogenesis. nevertheless,ho-1 overexpression in cancer cells promotes proliferation and survival. moreover,ho-1 induces angiogenesis through modulating expression of angiogenic factors. although ho-1 is an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein,ho-1 nuclear localization is evident in tumor cells of cancer tissues. it has been shown that ho-1 is susceptible to proteolytic cleavage and translocates to nucleus to facilitate tumor growth and invasion independent of its enzymatic activity. ho-1 also impacts cancer progression through modulating tumor microenvironment. this review summarizes the current understanding of the protumorigenic role of ho-1 and its potential as a molecular target for cancer therapy. © 2015 chau; licensee biomed central.