Free radicals, metals and antioxidants in oxidative stress-induced cancer

Summary

This 2006 review synthesises evidence on the mechanistic roles of oxidative stress, free radicals, and transition metals in carcinogenesis. The authors examine how ROS and RNS exhibit dual roles—functioning as both oncogenic secondary messengers in intracellular signalling cascades and as inducers of cellular senescence and apoptosis—with particular attention to metal-catalysed radical generation via Fenton chemistry and resulting DNA damage. The work is primarily a cell biology treatise with limited direct application to agricultural or food-based nutritional interventions.

Regional applicability

This is a fundamental mechanistic review in cell biology with no geographic specificity or agricultural content. Its relevance to United Kingdom policy or practice is indirect, contingent upon translating basic oxidative stress biology into evidence-based antioxidant food recommendations, a gap the authors acknowledge remains contested.

Key measures

Oxidative DNA lesions (8-OH-G), reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), redox imbalance, metal-mediated free radical formation (Fenton chemistry), AP-1 and NF-κB signalling activation

Outcomes reported

The review examines biochemical mechanisms linking oxidative stress and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species to cancer initiation and progression, with emphasis on metal-catalysed free radical formation and redox signalling pathways. It synthesises evidence on DNA damage, protein and lipid oxidation, and the dual role of ROS as both tumour-promoting and anti-tumourigenic species.

Topic tags