Additional experimental results confirmed that HMOX1 expression is induced both in the epithelium and endothelium at 6 h post-radiation, which is consistent with past work demonstrating that it can be upregulated and provide a cytoprotective function in other lung diseases (e.g., interstitial pneumonia, malaria-associated lung injury, silicosis)49–51. Here, HMOX1 is linked to lung disorder.