General cellular thiol and reactive oxygen species pool (ROS/Thiol pool)

The general cellular thiol and reactive oxygen species (ROS) pool refers to the dynamic equilibrium between oxidizing agents and antioxidant molecules within a cell. This system is primarily composed of low-molecular-weight thiols, most notably glutathione (GSH), and enzymatic systems like thioredoxin and glutaredoxin that manage the levels of ROS such as superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals (PubMed: 28216064). Biologically, this pool is essential for maintaining the proper folding of proteins, protecting DNA from oxidative damage, and acting as a secondary messenger in various signal transduction pathways (NIH: PMC4284551). In many diseases, such as cancer and neurodegeneration, this balance is disrupted; cancer cells often maintain high thiol levels to survive increased metabolic stress, while neurodegenerative conditions are characterized by a depleted antioxidant capacity (StatPearls: NBK545213). Pharmacological intervention targets this pool either by providing precursors to boost antioxidant defenses, such as N-acetylcysteine, or by using pro-oxidants to overwhelm the defense mechanisms of diseased cells (PubChem: CID 12035). Consequently, the cellular thiol/ROS pool serves as a critical, albeit broad, therapeutic landscape for modulating cell survival and death.

Other names

RedoxomeIntracellular thiol statusCellular redox bufferGSH/ROS balanceCellular redox pool

Modulation of the cellular redox state through the direct scavenging of reactive species, inhibition of antioxidant enzymes like thioredoxin reductase, or replenishment of thiol-containing molecules to restore homeostasis or induce oxidative-stress-mediated cell death (PubMed: 28216064, PubChem: CID 12035).