Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17(9):2252-2261. doi:10.7150/ijbs.61073 This issue Cite
Review
1. Medical Center of Diagnosis and Treatment for Cervical Diseases, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, People's Republic of China.
2. Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China.
3. Department of Gynecology, Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital, affiliated with Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, 213003, People's Republic of China.
4. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200080, People's Republic of China.
Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), also known as heat shock protein 32 (HSP32), is a stress-inducible enzyme. In the past, it was believed to participate in maintaining cell homeostasis, reducing oxidative stress damage and exerting anti-apoptotic effects. When exposed to noxious stimulation, the expression of HO-1 in the body will increase, antagonizing these oxidative stresses and protecting our bodies. Recently, many studies showed that HO-1 was also highly-expressed in multiple gynecological cancers (such as ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer), suggesting that it should be closely related to cell proliferation, metastasis, immune regulation and angiogenesis as an oncogene. This review summarizes the different effects of HO-1 under normal and diseased conditions with a brief discussion of its implications on the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers, aiming to provide a new clue for prevention and treatment of diseases.
Keywords: Heme Oxygenase-1, proliferation, metastasis, cancer, oxidative stress