Previous studies involving rat or mice cardiomyocytes (CMs) have found that early growth response 1 (EGR1), a prototypic Cys2-His2 type zinc finger transcription factor, plays a role in triggering ischemia–reperfusion injury and is rapidly induced by various stimuli such as growth factors, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and hypoxia5,6. The gene discussed is EGR1; the disease is ischemia.