Cellular redox and bioenergetic pathways

Cellular redox and bioenergetic pathways encompass the integrated network of biochemical reactions responsible for maintaining the cell's reduction-oxidation (redox) balance and generating energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (NCBI, 2002). These pathways include glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and the pentose phosphate pathway, as well as antioxidant systems like the glutathione and thioredoxin cycles (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2012). In many diseases, particularly cancer and neurodegeneration, these pathways are significantly altered to support rapid proliferation or compensate for mitochondrial dysfunction (Redox Biology, 2018). For instance, the Warburg effect in cancer cells involves a shift toward aerobic glycolysis to provide biosynthetic intermediates (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2012). Therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways often involve inhibiting specific metabolic enzymes or modulating the electron transport chain to induce oxidative stress or energy depletion in pathological cells (PubMed, 2020). Drugs like metformin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose are examples of agents that disrupt these bioenergetic processes to treat metabolic disorders and cancer (PubChem, 2023). However, because these processes are fundamental to all living cells, achieving selectivity and avoiding systemic toxicity remain major challenges in drug development (StatPearls, 2023). Monitoring biomarkers such as the NAD+/NADH ratio or lactate levels is often necessary to assess the efficacy and safety of such interventions (PubMed, 2019).

Other names

Cellular metabolismRedox homeostasis and energy metabolismBioenergeticsRedox signaling pathways

Drugs targeting these pathways typically act by inhibiting specific enzymes in the electron transport chain, modulating the availability of metabolic substrates, or altering the cellular antioxidant capacity to induce or prevent oxidative damage.