title: Carbon monoxide: an unusual drug.
abstract: The highly toxic gas carbon monoxide (CO) displays many physiological roles in several organs and tissues. Although many diseases, including cancer, hematological diseases, hypertension, heart failure, inflammation, sepsis, neurodegeneration, and sleep disorders, have been linked to abnormal endogenous CO metabolism and functions, CO administration has therapeutic potential in inflammation, sepsis, lung injury, cardiovascular diseases, transplantation, and cancer. Here, insights into the CO-based therapy, characterized by the induction or gene transfer of heme oxygenase-1 and either gas or CO-releasing molecule administration, are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Interdepartmental Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, University Roma Tre, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gullotta
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: di Masi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascenzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D009926:Organ Preservation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1