molecular basis of oxidative stress: chemistry, toxicology, disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapeutics

＂Oxidative stress occurs when a biological system cannot properly detoxify or repair damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS form as a natural byproduct of normal metabolism and have important roles in cell signaling. However, during times of environmental stress (such as for example, UV or heat exposure) ROS levels can increase dramatically, which can result in diseases (like cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases) and significant damage to cell structures. Oxidative stress and free radical chemistry are popularly understood to be important aspects of biochemistry, but the underlying science is more complex than the public understands. For those who seriously study oxidative processes, a rigorous mechanistic approach both reveals much complexity and also shows the many gaps in our knowledge＂--

Frederick A. Villamena, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the Ohio State University. Previously, he was a research scientist and principal investigator at the Davis Heart and Lunch Research Institute, Center for EPR Spectroscopy and Imaging.

Henry Jay Forman, PhD, is both Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at the University of California, Merced and Research Professor Emeritus of Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. He is a specialist in free radical biology and chemistry, antioxidant defense, and pioneered work in redox signaling including the mechanisms of induced resistance to oxidative stress.