Hemoglobin gets a new title

Adam Mickiewicz University scientist who challenged the 2019 Nobel Prize discovery on oxygen sensing proposes hemoglobin as an oxygen gasoreceptor. Titles are important in politics. Not all the Gandhis can be considered Mahatmas, nor can all Bolesławs be considered brave. However, titles honor individuals and their contributions to their country and society. In biology, titles and terms are also important. Oxygen is a vital gas; without it, none of us would be able to read this article. Everyone needs oxygen: patients affected during a pandemic, yogis in the Himalayas, and astronauts in space. Candles require oxygen to burn. However, oxygen has had different names throughout history. In Europe alone, it has had at least three. Carl Wilhelm Scheele called it Feuer Luft, Joseph Priestly called it dephlogisticated air, and Antoine Lavoisier called it principe oxygène. Today, it is called "oxygen" in English-language schools and "tlen" in Polish-language schools. However, the term "oxygen" is now widely accepted. This acceptance allows for patents on oxygen-sensing devices and the proper labeling of gas tanks in hospitals. Otherwise, anesthesiologists would have difficulty deciding which gas to use before life-saving surgeries. In biology, as in other fields, terms are important. Not all the fats are cholesterol. Not all the proteins are enzymes. Not all the mushrooms are toxic. Not all the nucleic acids are vaccines. Not all the bacteria are pathogenic. Not all the cells are stem cells. Not everything that is a fruit is a fruit. Not all changes are evolution. Like political titles, biological terms have the power to unite researchers. However, blind unity among researchers is akin to a pseudo-religion. As in a democracy, science progresses through questioning, not blind acceptance of authority. If Copernicus had not questioned the status quo, his heliocentric theory might be known as someone else's theory today. It might be known as Müller's or Weissman's heliocentric theory. Dr. Anbalagan, from the Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Biology, finds himself in the spotlight again by asking a similar question: Is “gas transporter” the only correct term for one of the most studied proteins, hemoglobin? In humans, hemoglobin is a protein responsible for transporting gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, in red blood cells. This allows oxygen to be delivered to all cells that need it. However, hemoglobin is also an enzyme that produces nitric oxide, a gas well-known for its role in male erections. The blockbuster, multi-billion-dollar drug Viagra works by acting on the nitric oxide pathway. Gasoreceptors for nitric oxide and ethylene are also enzymes, like hemoglobin, but they have different enzymatic activities. Binding of these gases to the enzymes activates specific signaling pathways in cells, which is why they are widely accepted and taught as receptors. Since hemoglobin’s enzymatic activity and related signaling depend on its oxygen-binding state, Dr. Anbalagan now proposes that hemoglobin can act as an oxygen receptor. Dr. Anbalagan did not conduct experiments himself; he merely offered an alternative interpretation of the results of others’ experiments and coined the term "gasoreceptor" for hemoglobin for the first time. Dr. Anbalagan did not conduct experiments himself; he merely offered an alternative interpretation of the results of others’ experiments and coined the term "gasoreceptor" for hemoglobin for the first time. His manuscript was published in the Polish Biochemical Society journal Acta Biochimica Polonica. This indicates that Dr. Anbalagan’s theoretical ideas in the manuscript underwent a rigorous peer review process at one of the highest levels possible in Poland. Just six years ago, the Nobel Foundation awarded a Nobel Prize for research on oxygen sensing mechanisms. However, the prize was not awarded for the discovery of an oxygen receptor, but rather for the discovery of how cells sense reduced levels of oxygen in the long term. Does Dr. Anbalagan’s proposal of hemoglobin as an oxygen receptor matter? The answer to this question requires scientific debate and agreement within the scientific community. Hemoglobin is more than just a protein in red blood cells. It is present in many different cell types, including Parkinson’s disease-related dopaminergic neurons, as well as in organelles such as mitochondria. Low oxygen levels have been linked to numerous diseases. It is a well-known fact that more than 90% of drugs fail in clinical trials. Each failure costs approximately 1 billion USD. Despite 25 years of Alzheimer’s disease research, there is still no reliable and affordable treatment. Solid tumors and reproductive organs, such as the male testes, are also characterized by low oxygen levels. However, since oxygen is central to cellular metabolism, having a direct oxygen receptor for all cells provides an instant oxygen-sensing option and immense evolutionary benefits, much like a car having a fuel-level sensor. "'Sit down before facts like a child and give up everything you know, or you shall learn nothing.' It's not a complete quote. Please look it up for yourself. That is the advice I want to give to others before they read my manuscript or ignore it outright.” When asked for comments on his manuscript, Dr. Anbalagan said, "There is a famous quote by Thomas Huxley, known as Darwin's bulldog for his aggressive defense of Darwin's theory of evolution: I don’t remember it exactly, but it goes something like, 'Sit down before facts like a child and give up everything you know, or you shall learn nothing.' It's not a complete quote. Please look it up for yourself. That is the advice I want to give to others before they read my manuscript or ignore it outright.” Publishing novel perspectives and ideas can promote debate within the scientific community. However, this could be challenging for a manuscript published in a journal with a relatively low impact factor, such as Acta Biochimica Polonica. Given the important role of oxygen in almost every cell in our body, Dr Anbalagan’s idea that hemoglobin as an oxygen gasoreceptor touches upon a high-priority research area with major implications. Dr. Anbalagan is the recipient of two NCN fellowships and is yet to receive his habilitation. Related manuscript: Anbalagan S. Hemoglobin as an oxygen gasoreceptor. Acta Biochimica Polonica 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/abp.2025.15546