HMOX1 and tuberculosis: In section 3, we discussed that Mtb and bactericidal anti-TB drugs cause mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage in host cells, consequently ROS-mediated apoptosis as well as simultaneous activation of antioxidant mechanisms, such as the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway, that may interfere with the removal of Mtb (88, 89) A major factor involved in this mechanism is HO-1 (95, 192).