An unanswered question in human health is whether antioxidation prevents or promotes cancer. Antioxidation has historically been viewed as chemopreventive, but emerging evidence suggests that antioxidants may be supportive of neoplasia. We posit this contention to be rooted in the fact that ROS do not operate as one single biochemical entity, but as diverse secondary messengers in cancer cells. This cautions against therapeutic strategies to increase ROS at a global level. To leverage redox alterations towards the development of effective therapies necessitates the application of biophysical and biochemical approaches to define redox dynamics and to functionally elucidate specific oxidative modifications in cancer versus normal cells. An improved understanding of the sophisticated workings of redox biology is imperative to defeating cancer.

人类健康中尚未解决的问题是抗氧化作用是否预防或促进了癌症。从历史上看，抗氧化被认为是化学预防剂，但是新出现的证据表明抗氧化剂可能支持瘤形成。我们认为这种观点根源于ROS不是作为一个单一的生化实体起作用，而是作为癌细胞中的各种次级信使的事实。这告诫不要在全球范围内增加ROS的治疗策略。为了利用氧化还原改变来发展有效的疗法，必须应用生物物理和生化方法来定义氧化还原动力学并在功能上阐明相对于正常细胞的癌症中的特定氧化修饰。更好地理解氧化还原生物学的复杂原理对于战胜癌症至关重要。