Reactive oxygen species as mediator of tumor radiosensitivity

In normal functioning of the cell, there is a balance between generation and neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by endogenous cellular defense machinery. Low levels of ROS inside the cells are required for normal functioning of the cell, which regulate signaling mechanisms involved in mitosis and apoptosis; excess of ROS production may cause oxidative stress leading to damage in vital cellular molecules, namely cytosolic lipids, proteins, and DNA. In the situation of intracellular redox imbalance, molecules of cells are altered by ROS leading to pathogenic state. It is to be noted that ROS is not only known to be involved in tumor induction and progression processes but also enhances tumor cell radiosensitivity. The level of ROS-mediated oxidative stress is linked to cellular radiosensitivity. In general, cancer cells exhibit high levels of ROS, which forms a target for selectively killing them by radiation. In this paper, we have reviewed how oxidative stress determines the radiosensitivity of tumor cells involving ROS in the mechanism of radiation induced tumor cell killing. It is suggested that radiation-induced ROS play a key role in the mechanism of tumor cell killing by altering the signaling network and triggering of apoptosis. Furthermore, it is pointed out that combined use of plant-derived antioxidants and radiation enhance overproduction of ROS in tumor cells leading to enhanced radiosensitivity, which may find practical applications in clinic.