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Review
. 2024 Nov 18;25(22):12387.
doi: 10.3390/ijms252212387.

Oxidative Stress and Cancer Therapy: Controlling Cancer Cells Using Reactive Oxygen Species

Songhyun Ju  1   2   3 , Manish Kumar Singh  1   2 , Sunhee Han  1   2   3 , Jyotsna Ranbhise  1   2   3 , Joohun Ha  1   2 , Wonchae Choe  1   2 , Kyung-Sik Yoon  1   2 , Seung Geun Yeo  4 , Sung Soo Kim  1   2 , Insug Kang  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Oxidative Stress and Cancer Therapy: Controlling Cancer Cells Using Reactive Oxygen Species

Songhyun Ju et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Cancer is a multifaceted disease influenced by various mechanisms, including the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have a paradoxical role in both promoting cancer progression and serving as targets for therapeutic interventions. At low concentrations, ROS serve as signaling agents that enhance cancer cell proliferation, migration, and resistance to drugs. However, at elevated levels, ROS induce oxidative stress, causing damage to biomolecules and leading to cell death. Cancer cells have developed mechanisms to manage ROS levels, including activating pathways such as NRF2, NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt. This review explores the relationship between ROS and cancer, focusing on cell death mechanisms like apoptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy, highlighting the potential therapeutic strategies that exploit ROS to target cancer cells.

Keywords: cancer; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species (ROS).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Functions dependent on ROS levels in cancer cells.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antioxidant enzymes and their mechanisms.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cell death associated with ROS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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