Dear Colleagues,

Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the generation of highly reactive oxygen species and their detoxification by the defense system of the organism. Over the past three decades, reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, as well as the physiological process of aging. Therefore, antioxidant supplementation and boosting the antioxidant defenses of the body have been proposed in order to prevent the deleterious effects of excess reactive oxygen species. High concentrations of reactive oxygen species activate the cell death signaling pathways of apoptosis and necroptosis, while low concentrations are thought to exert beneficial effects by activating cell survival signaling pathways such as UPR, and Nrf2. The latter pathways are essential for redox homeostasis and proper functioning of the cardiovascular and immune systems. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that regulates cellular defense against oxidative damage through the expression of genes involved in the oxidative stress response. Nrf2 activation provides cells with resistance against neoplastic transformation and inflammatory challenges. 

When considering the molecular genetic aspects of oxidative stress, it is important to note that DNA damage induced by reactive oxygen species increases the rate of mutations and causes various abnormalities in cells. Modulation of gene expression leads to changes in the levels of functional nucleic acids (i.e. regulatory RNAs) and proteins. Subsequently, the disruption of protein structures leads to their malfunction, causing alterations to metabolic pathways and cellular processes.

Potential topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

•    Advances in redox-active prodrugs in cancer
•    Natural or synthetic small molecules as ROS-targeted anticancer therapeutics
•    Non-radical scavenging mechanisms targeting oxidative stress in cancer
•    Nrf2/Keap1 pathway-targeted therapeutics in cancer
•    Preclinical designing and development of small molecules targeting redox regulation for their cancer therapeutic potentials 
•    Biomarkers for assessing redox imbalance and antioxidant status
•    Molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress regulation
•    Genetic consequences of oxidative stress
•    Involvement of ROS and oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases
•    Activities of antioxidants as potential therapeutic agents in the treatment of genetic and neurodegenerative diseases

Prof. Luciano Saso, Prof. Grzegorz Wegrzyn and Prof. Hande Gurer-Orhan

Guest Editors