Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) is mostly known as a life-threatening product of incomplete combustion of organic compounds with high affinity to hemoglobin. However, CO is also produced endogenously in very low concentrations during heme degradation.
Recent studies have clearly shown that CO plays a role, similarly as nitric oxide or sulfane, as an important signaling molecule regulating numerous physiologic and pathophysiologic processes in the organism and thus could be used therapeutically. Inhalation of CO has its limitations, and that is why there is an effort to develop alternative ways of CO delivery to the target tissues.
One of the options are carbon monoxide releasing molecules, CORMs. This review is focused on possibilities to use CO in therapy of inflammation and liver diseases.