HMOX1 and scleroderma: In vitro, curcumin has the ability of inducing scleroderma fibroblast apoptosis [31], protecting rat lung epithelial cells from quartz particle-mediated cytotoxic and inflammatory effects [30], inhibiting lung fibroblast proliferation [1], blocking the TGF-β1 signaling cascade [32], and upregulating heme oxygenase-1 [33] in renal cells.