Mesangial cells, the extracellular matrix secreting and phagocytic glomerular resident cells, express heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) (98) and FtH (99), and their FtH content was critical in mitigating iron toxicity and mediating the protective effect of HO-1 in response to experimental glomerulonephritis (99). The gene discussed is FTH1; the disease is glomerulonephritis.