Reactive oxygen species and electrophilic toxicants (ROS/Electrophiles)

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and electrophilic toxicants are chemically reactive molecules that induce cellular damage through oxidative and electrophilic stress. ROS, including superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, are primarily generated as byproducts of mitochondrial metabolism or by enzymes like NADPH oxidases, while electrophilic toxicants are electron-deficient molecules that can covalently modify cellular nucleophiles such as DNA and proteins (Sies & Jones, 2020; LoPachin & Gavin, 2014). At physiological levels, these species act as vital signaling molecules regulating cell growth and differentiation; however, their pathological accumulation is linked to the progression of cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular diseases (Forman & Zhang, 2021). Therapeutic approaches do not typically target these molecules in a traditional receptor-binding sense but instead utilize antioxidants to scavenge them or Nrf2 activators to bolster the cell's endogenous defense mechanisms (Yamamoto et al., 2018). A significant challenge in targeting these species is maintaining the delicate redox balance, as excessive suppression of ROS can impair necessary biological functions like pathogen defense and intracellular communication (Halliwell, 2011).

Other names

Reactive oxygen speciesElectrophilic speciesOxidantsPro-oxidantsReactive electrophilic speciesRESReactive nitrogen speciesRNS

Neutralization of reactive species through direct chemical scavenging or the pharmacological induction of endogenous antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, primarily via the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.