REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Parasite Immunology
This article is part of the Research TopicInflammation and immune modulation induced by parasitic infectionView all 4 articles
Heme Oxygenase-1 and Malaria Pathogenesis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication Africa Centre of Excellence, Ota, Nigeria
- 2Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical course of malaria ranges from uncomplicated infection to severe disease, driven by extensive hemolysis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an inducible enzyme involved in heme degradation, has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the host's response to Plasmodium infection. Experimental and clinical studies suggest that HO-1 is strongly induced during malaria and plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation, oxidative damage, and tissue injury. In murine models, HO-1 induction confers protection against severe malaria complications, including cerebral malaria and organ dysfunction, partly by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and vascular permeability. Conversely, elevated HO-1 expression in specific immune cell populations has been associated with heightened inflammatory responses and disease severity in humans, highlighting its context-dependent effects. Here, we review the key roles of HO-1 in malaria pathogenesis, emphasising its dual protective and pathological functions, and discuss its potential relevance as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and as a therapeutic target.
Keywords: biomarker, Heme Oxygenase-1, Malaria, Oxidative Stress, Pathogenesis
Received: 29 Dec 2025; Accepted: 11 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Wakai, Chinedu and Afolabi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Theophilus Nang Wakai
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.