Abstract
In this chapter, how increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have been detected in almost all types of cancers play a role in its development as well as therapeutic management have been discussed. ROS is a by-product of many metabolic cycles and processes within a cell. But the powerful antioxidant system of the cell keeps a check on ROS levels to maintain the normal function of cells. However in abnormal cases, like that of tumorigenesis, ROS plays an important role. ROS-mediated oxidative stress hampers cell cycle and causes DNA lesions like other known carcinogens, e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The type of ROS generated, the location, and pathway followed for its generation, as well as the intracellular concentration is important for the cellular functions of ROS in cancer. Studies suggest that ROS interferes in pathways which involve transcription factors including NF-kB, AP-1, p53, HIF, Wnt, and Nif2 by upregulation or downregulation. The role of ROS in activation of oncogenic pathways leads up to transformation of a normal cell to oncogenic cells like survival, proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and stem cell survival. However, a growing body of evidence also suggests that ROS plays an important role in tumor inhibition too. That is why many anticancer agents are known to exploit the cytotoxic effects through ROS to activate the destructive cellular cycle like apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, etc. which lead up to its death. From chemotherapies to targeted therapies, involvement of ROS coupled with some other therapeutic elements is being studied under clinical trials all over the world.
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Kumar, R., Prasad, H.K., Kumar, M. (2022). The Double-Edged Sword Role of ROS in Cancer. In: Chakraborti, S., Ray, B.K., Roychoudhury, S. (eds) Handbook of Oxidative Stress in Cancer: Mechanistic Aspects. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9411-3_71
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