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Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Production and Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species ROS in Cancers
Published on: November 21, 2011
Reactive Oxygen Species Synergize To Potently and Selectively Induce Cancer Cell Death
Hyang Yeon Lee1, Elizabeth I Parkinson1, Carlotta Granchi2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
Abstract:
A distinctive feature of cancer cells is their elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a trait that can cause cancer cells to be more sensitive to ROS-inducing agents than normal cells. ROS take several forms, each with different reactivity and downstream consequence. Here we show that simultaneous generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide within cancer cells results in significant synergy, potently and selectively causing cancer cell death. In these experiments superoxide is generated using the NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) substrate deoxynyboquinone (DNQ), and hydrogen peroxide is generated using the lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) inhibitor NHI-Glc-2. This combination reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival in a mouse model of lung cancer. These data suggest that simultaneous induction of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide can be a powerful and selective anticancer strategy.
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