Tumor-associated antioxidant enzymes (AOEs)

Tumor-associated antioxidant enzymes are a collective group of proteins, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), that are frequently overexpressed in cancer cells to mitigate the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by rapid proliferation and metabolic shifts (NIH, 2021). These enzymes are essential for maintaining redox homeostasis, protecting the tumor from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and DNA damage, which often contributes to chemoresistance and disease progression (PubMed, 2020). Therapeutic strategies targeting this system, often referred to as pro-oxidant therapy, aim to inhibit these enzymes to push ROS levels beyond a tolerable threshold, specifically triggering cell death in malignant tissues (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2019). Drugs like auranofin and motexafin gadolinium have been explored for their ability to inhibit specific components of this network, such as thioredoxin reductase (PubChem, 2023). However, the inherent redundancy of antioxidant systems and the risk of inducing oxidative damage in healthy tissues present significant challenges for clinical efficacy and safety (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2018).

Other names

Antioxidant enzymesROS-scavenging enzymesRedox-regulating enzymesAntioxidant defense system

Inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activity to increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, leading to oxidative damage and induction of apoptosis in cancer cells.