Tuning the Toxicity of Reactive Oxygen Species into Advanced Tumor Therapy

The biological functions and toxic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generally entangled. A large amount of ROS may cause oxidative damage to cell biomolecules, leading to cell death. Tumor treatment can be carried out by using the toxicity of ROS, and various nanosystems related to ROS have been designed. In fact, the level of active oxygen in the biological microenvironment can be regulated in advanced therapeutics via designed nanoscale engineering, which can open up a new direction of treatment with specific simplicity. In this progress report, the authors first introduced how ROS causes cell death. Then, recent studies on converting the inherent toxicity from ROS into advanced treatment tools are highlighted.

Automated summary

The toxic effects and biological functions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are intertwined. Utilizing the toxicity of ROS for tumor treatment through nanosystems has been explored. Advanced therapeutics can regulate the level of active oxygen in the biological microenvironment, providing a new direction for treatment. Recent studies have focused on converting ROS toxicity into advanced treatment tools.