Biology

Reactive oxygen species

Inflammatory bowel disease

Biochemistry

Cysteine

Immunology

Redox

Organic chemistry

Oxidative phosphorylation

Oxidative stress

Inflammation

Antioxidant

Enzyme

Medicine

Chemistry

Disease

Pathology

Trends in Molecular Medicine

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with the production of reactive species that target cysteine redox switches in proteins, thereby affecting gene regulation, DNA damage, ion transport, intermediary metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Precursors of reactive species are derived from organic and inorganic compounds and their cofactors, including amino acids, vitamins, oxygen, nitrite, and sulfate. Nutrition and the gut microbiome fuel this process to a significant extent. The production of reactive species in IBD is reflected by a reduction in systemic free thiols, the major components of the antioxidant machinery. Systemic free thiols are amenable to nutritional or therapeutic intervention. This opens up future avenues for therapeutic modulation of redox status in IBD.

Oxidative Stress and Redox-Modulating Therapeutics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease