Some cell signaling pathways such as Notch, nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1), Ras homolog family member A/Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (RhoA/ROCK), as well as Sonic hedgehog pathways regulate cardiac regeneration, reactive fibrosis, and cardiac hypertrophy, mediate the survival, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and other phenotypes of cells12,15–19. Here, HMOX1 is linked to cardiac hypertrophy.