The cytoprotective effects of HO-1 and/or of its final products, CO and biliverdin/bilirubin have been demonstrated in a variety of diseases, including immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (rejection of transplanted organs, autoimmune diseases, asthma, arthritis, colitis, pancreatitis, recurrent abortions), infectious diseases (severe malaria, sepsis, endotoxin shock), cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, endothelial dysfunction, vaso-occlusion) and ischemia-reperfusion injury (Gozzelino et al., 2010). Here, HMOX1 is linked to atherosclerosis.