The origin and future of oxidative stress pathology: From the recognition of carcinogenesis as an iron addiction with ferroptosis-resistance to non-thermal plasma therapy.

Helmut Sies established the concept of oxidative stress in 1985. However, it took some time to introduce this concept into pathology, where investigators count on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. I sought out antigens for this purpose based on an oxidative stress-induced rat renal carcinogenesis model, which revealed that 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified proteins are ideal. These two monoclonal antibodies successfully revealed the involvement of oxidative stress in numerous human diseases, including carcinogenesis and atherosclerosis. Shigeru Okada established the aforementioned ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA)-induced rat renal carcinogenesis model, which thus far has answered many questions regarding the presence of target genes in oxidative stress-induced carcinogenesis and the sites that are susceptible to oxidative stress in the genome. Particularly, the similarity of genomic alterations between Fe-NTA-induced renal cancer and human cancers suggests that excess iron plays a role also in human carcinogenesis. Furthermore, excess iron is a major pathology in asbestos-induced mesothelioma, including chrysotile. Despite an analogy to asbestos, multi-wall carbon nanotubes were distinct in that diameter is another responsible factor for mesothelial carcinogenesis. Recently, non-thermal plasma emerged as a candidate for medical intervention for wounds and cancers via manipulating oxidative stress. Counteracting excess iron is a promising preventive strategy for major diseases.