The inducible isoform of HO is HO-1 [9], and aside from its role in heme catabolism it has also been shown to have an indispensable cytoprotective role in the cellular response to a wide variety of harmful stimuli [10, 11] including an essential function for survival in animal infection models such as malaria and bacterial sepsis [12–14]. This evidence concerns the gene HMOX1 and malaria.