Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Mol Cell. 2024 Jan 4;84(1):23-33. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.11.001. Epub 2023 Nov 28.
Scientists in this field often joke, "If you don't have a mechanism, say it's ROS." Seemingly connected to every biological process ever described, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have numerous pleiotropic roles in physiology and disease. In some contexts, ROS act as secondary messengers, controlling a variety of signaling cascades. In other scenarios, they initiate damage to macromolecules. Finally, in their worst form, ROS are deadly to cells and surrounding tissues. A set of molecules with detoxifying abilities, termed antioxidants, is the direct counterpart to ROS. Notably, antioxidants exist in the public domain, touted as a "cure-all" for diseases. Research has disproved many of these claims and, in some cases, shown the opposite. Of all the diseases, cancer stands out in its paradoxical relationship with antioxidants. Although the field has made numerous strides in understanding the roles of antioxidants in cancer, many questions remain.
“如果没有机制，就说是 ROS。”ROS 似乎与以往描述的每一种生物过程都有关联，在生理学和疾病中具有多种多效性作用。在某些情况下，ROS 作为第二信使，控制各种信号级联。在其他情况下，它们会引发大分子的损伤。最后，ROS 以最糟糕的形式对细胞和周围组织是致命的。一组具有解毒能力的分子，称为抗氧化剂，是 ROS 的直接对应物。值得注意的是，抗氧化剂存在于公共领域，被誉为治疗各种疾病的“万灵药”。研究已经驳斥了其中的许多说法，在某些情况下，甚至显示出相反的结果。在所有疾病中，癌症在其与抗氧化剂的矛盾关系中尤为突出。尽管该领域在理解抗氧化剂在癌症中的作用方面取得了许多进展，但仍有许多问题悬而未决。
