HMOX1 and colorectal cancer: Hemin, an artificially synthesized form of heme, was demonstrated to cause DNA strand breaks and oxidative DNA damage in human colonic epithelial (HCEC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, which subsequently promotes Nrf2 stabilization and translocation to the nucleus, along with robust expression of cytosolic HO-1, thereby conferring protection against the deleterious effects of hemin [60].