Oxidative stress describes the state level of oxidative damage in a cell, tissue or organ, caused by reactive oxygen species. Alcohol induces oxidative stress in the liver resulting in an imbalance between oxidants and anti-oxidants.

Oxygen, although essential for human life, can turn into an aggressive chemical that is outright toxic to important molecules inside our cells. This "oxidative stress" is associated with many diseases, such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer, and has been suggested to be the culprit underlying aging.

Oxidative stress is known to underlie many human diseases including atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. A team of scientists from Boston College has found a means to discover more about what role oxidative stress plays in the development of diseases by studying it at the sub-cellular level.

Scientists have discovered new information about an immune pathway in mice that explains how oxidative stress that results from acute estrogen deficiency leads to the loss of bone. The finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help in identifying a new drug target for preventing postmenopausal bone loss.

The reported failure of vitamin E to prevent heart attacks may be due to underdosing, according to a new study by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Researchers in Taiwan have demonstrated for the first time that urban air pollution simultaneously affects key indicators of cardiovascular risk in young adults: inflammation, oxidative stress, coagulation and autonomic dysfunction.

In the August 7, 2007, issue of PLoS One, researchers show how a poorly understood and previously unsuspected mechanism may be the key to understanding how life-style associated forms of oxidative stress, such as exposure to cigarette smoke, damage cells in the lungs.

Two papers to be published in the Early Edition online of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of July 30-August 3, 2007 report findings that demonstrate that neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) protects against damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and identifies an important trigger for its production and novel molecular mechanisms that support vision.

Researchers at Queen Mary University London and the University of Leicester and have today (Friday June 1) announced a potential breakthrough in the treatment of a rare but devastating medical condition that can affect children and young people.

As we continue to advance our understanding of oxidative stress and its relationship to a variety of diseases, researchers are encouraged about the potential therapeutic role for antioxidants. In this study, a team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India, found that antioxidants may offer relief from the painful symptoms of chronic pancreatitis (CP), an ongoing inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to severe GI complications.