Oxidative stress signaling pathways describe the cellular mechanisms activated in response to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defenses. At physiological levels, ROS act as signaling molecules regulating cell proliferation, immune responses, and metabolic adaptation. When ROS levels exceed antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress triggers signaling cascades that alter gene expression, inflammation, and cell fate.
Dysregulation of oxidative stress signaling pathways contributes to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic syndromes, and aging.
Oxidative stress signaling pathway activity can be efficiently assessed by measuring gene expression of redox regulators, downstream targets, and pathway-specific biomarker signatures.
A proposed model of how a favorable redox environment prevents vascular endothelial dysfunction and possibly the risk for cardiovascular disease in an uncontrolled and controlled redox environment.
Key takeaways
Central regulators of redox homeostasis and cellular adaptation
Balance ROS signaling and antioxidant defense mechanisms
Strong cross-talk with inflammation, metabolism, and stress pathways
Highly implicated in chronic diseases and aging
Ideal for biomarker discovery and targeted gene expression analysis
Oxidative stress signaling pathways are cellular signaling mechanisms activated in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). They regulate antioxidant defenses, inflammation, metabolism, and cell fate decisions depending on redox balance.
How do reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signaling molecules?
At controlled levels, ROS act as secondary messengers that modulate pathways such as NRF2, MAPK, NF-κB, and FoxO. Excessive ROS disrupt signaling homeostasis and cause oxidative damage.
Which signaling pathways are involved in oxidative stress?
Major oxidative stress signaling pathways include:
NRF2 / KEAP1 antioxidant signaling
NF-κB inflammatory signaling
MAPK pathways (ERK, JNK, p38)
FoxO transcription factor signaling
HIF-1α redox adaptation pathway
What diseases are associated with dysregulated oxidative stress signaling?
Dysregulated oxidative stress signaling contributes to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disorders, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammation, and aging-related pathologies.
How can oxidative stress signaling pathways be analyzed?
Oxidative stress signaling pathways can be analyzed by measuring gene expression of ROS regulators, antioxidant enzymes, transcription factors, and downstream targets using targeted gene expression approaches such as qPCR pathway arrays.
Oxidative damage signaling pathway biomarker list
You can check the biomarker list included in this pathway, see below:
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Bibliography
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3. Peña-Oyarzun D et al. Autophagy and oxidative stress in non-communicable diseases: A matter of the inflammatory state?. Free Radic Biol Med. (2018) 20;124:61-78.
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6. Varadharaj S et al. Role of Dietary Antioxidants in the Preservation of Vascular Function and the Modulation of Health and Disease. Front Cardiovasc Med. (2017) 1;4:64.
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