In their study, Li Volti et al. found that in the rat astrocytes, the expression and subcellular distribution of HO-1 were also related to the degree of astrocyte differentiation, suggesting that HO-1 nuclear translocation is underlying mechanism involved in brain development as well as neurodegenerative diseases (Li Volti et al., 2004). Here, HMOX1 is linked to neurodegenerative disease.