Oxidative Stress Implicated in Cancer and Neurological Disease Development

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant breakthrough, researchers at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), a National Institute under the Ministry of Science & Technology (Department of Biotechnology), have uncovered a crucial relationship between mRNA processing and oxidative stress response—a mechanism that plays a pivotal role in the development of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and ageing.

Oxidative stress, particularly in the heart, is a key factor in conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, hypoxia, ischemia-reperfusion injury, atherosclerosis, and hypertrophy (abnormal organ enlargement). When the production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) exceeds a cell's ability to neutralize them, oxidative stress occurs, potentially leading to disease progression.

The study, led by Dr. Rakesh S. Laishram, along with Dr. Feba Shaji and Dr. Jamshaid Ali, highlights how cells respond to oxidative stress by enhancing the precision of RNA processing, which, in turn, increases the production of antioxidant proteins to counteract damage. The findings, published in the prestigious journal Redox Biology, underscore the therapeutic significance of regulating RNA cleavage precision to mitigate oxidative stress-related diseases.

According to Dr. Laishram, controlling oxidative stress is crucial for maintaining cellular health and preventing various diseases. He emphasized that cells regulate oxidative stress by modifying gene expression, which involves alterations in DNA, RNA, or proteins. This study highlights the importance of targeting cleavage precision in RNA processing as a potential therapeutic approach to oxidative stress-related disorders.

RGCB Director Dr. Chandrabhas Narayana praised the study, stating that it provides vital insights into the role of antioxidant responses in disease development. The research demonstrates that RNA cleavage heterogeneity—or variations in cleavage precision—plays a key role in gene expression regulation under oxidative stress conditions.

This study represents the first known example of how cleavage imprecision influences antioxidant response differently from existing oxidative stress pathways. The findings hold major implications for understanding disease mechanisms, particularly in conditions like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and diabetes, where oxidative stress plays a critical role.