Abstract
Living organisms have evolved ubiquitous mechanisms to manage a vast multitude of stressors and noxious conditions. Many different stimuli, both internal and external, induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a necessary part of the intracellular communication system which provokes stress responses. While moderate levels of ROS are important in intracellular signal transduction networking, their massive production causes oxidative stress which accelerates the carcinogenic as well as aging process. The nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor (NRF2) acts as a ‘master switch’ in a cell-sensing system responsible for maintaining redox balance by regulating the transcription of a battery of antioxidant and other cytoprotective genes. This transcription factor protects cells from damage not only by ROS, but also reactive nitrogen species and electrophilic toxicants. However, such NRF2-mediated stress responses essential for the maintenance of normal physiological functions are often hijacked by cancer cells for their proliferative advantage, survival, and resistance to anticancer therapy. This presentation will highlight the multifaceted functions of NRF2 and its target proteins in cellular adaptive response to diverse short-lived reactive species.
