Redox Signaling

Abstract

A diverse redox microenvironment exists in healthy cells and cancer cells. Homeostasis of the redox microenvironment of a healthy cell is severely deregulated in cancer pathogenesis. The loss and gain of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have a detrimental effect on cellular physiology. Cancer cells are unique for reprogramming and reorganizing the metabolic circuitries and redox signaling to sustain their high proliferation rate, progression, and metastasis. Recent evidence suggested that oxidative stress-induced signaling plays an essential role in the invasion of cancer cells through extracellular matrix (ECM). The dysregulation of ROS generation in the tumor microenvironment affects the extravasation, intravasation, and colonization of target organs by cancer cells during their migration via the interstitial matrix and basement membrane. The present chapter outlines the redox regulation of ECM involved in cancer progression during oxidative stress. We have discussed the pivotal role of the redox system in the remodeling of cytoskeleton, cell–cell junctions, and cell mobility during cancer progression. The contribution of mitochondria in regulating the interplay between redox homeostasis and metabolism within tumor cells is highlighted. We have described the contribution of altered redox signaling in cancer progression and the development of drug resistance in cancer therapies. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), the driving force of cancer cell metastasis and drug resistance, is also explored. A better understanding of the redox signaling pathways in cancer progression and cancer treatment resistance might enable us to use novel strategies for therapeutic intervention.KeywordsROSRNSRedoxSignalingCancerProgressionResistance