HAGH is a member of the glyoxalase family and a thiolesterase which hydrolyses S-lactoyl-glutathione to reduced glutathione and D-lactate. This protein is a detoxifying enzyme of glycolysis byproduct methylglyoxal and a target of p63 and p73 and serves as a pro-survival factor of the p53 family. It exists only as a monomer and binds two zinc ions per subunit.