That Hb exerts its glioprotective effect through the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway is supported by a study showing that Hb blocks the effects of NO on (i) the decrease of procaspase-2 protein levels, an inactive form of caspase-2, (ii) the stimulation of caspase-3 activity, (iii) the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and the DNA fragmentation, and (iv) the apoptotic cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells (60, 61). This evidence concerns the gene CASP3 and neuroblastoma.