Role of Oxidative Stress in Cardiac Remodeling and Heart Failure—3rd Edition

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Outcomes of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 3505

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Internal Medicine Department, Botucatu Medical School, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil
Interests: heart failure; skeletal muscle; cardiac remodeling; physical exercise; cell signaling; ventricular function
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Guest Editor
Clinical Hospital of Botucatu School of Medicine, Botucatu 18618-687, SP, Brazil
Interests: heart failure; cardiac remodeling; physical exercise; genomics; transcriptomics

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Guest Editor
Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-970, Brazil
Interests: heart failure; cardiac function; hypertension; cardiovascular physiology; physical activity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Third Edition of the Special Issue ‘Role of Oxidative Stress in Cardiac Remodeling and Heart Failure’.

The field of cardiovascular research continues to rapidly evolve, with accumulating evidence underscoring the critical role of oxidative stress in the complex processes of cardiac remodeling and the pathogenesis of heart failure. Cardiac remodeling, defined as molecular, cellular, and interstitial cardiac changes that manifest clinically as changes in the size, shape, and function of the heart, remains a central feature in the progression towards heart failure. Cardiac failure is the final pathway of many cardiac diseases and presents a major public health issue due to its poor prognosis and high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.

The intricate balance between the production and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is fundamental to cardiac health. While physiological levels of ROS are involved in crucial intracellular signaling pathways, an imbalance leading to oxidative stress can trigger cellular damage, dysfunction, and ultimately cell death within the myocardium and systemically. The vicious cycle in which injured myocytes contribute to increased oxidative stress and further exacerbation of myocardial damage highlights the complexity and importance of this area of investigation. Despite considerable research efforts, a comprehensive understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms linking oxidative stress to heart failure remains an active and vital area of inquiry.

This Third Edition of our Special Issue aims to provide an updated comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in this critical field. We cordially invite you to contribute cutting-edge original research articles and insightful review papers encompassing in vitro studies, animal models, and clinical investigations that delve into the following key areas:

  • Mechanisms underlying the role of increased oxidative stress in cardiac remodeling.
  • The contribution of oxidative stress to the pathophysiology of various forms of heart failure.
  • Novel biomarkers and diagnostic approaches related to oxidative stress in cardiac disease.
  • Identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets aimed at mitigating oxidative stress in the context of cardiac remodeling and heart failure.
  • Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, including antioxidant therapies and lifestyle modifications, and their impact on cardiac remodeling and heart failure.
  • The interplay between oxidative stress and other crucial pathways involved in heart failure, such as inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic dysfunction.
  • Translational research bridging basic science discoveries to clinical applications in the management of heart failure.

We believe that this Special Issue will serve as a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians, fostering a deeper understanding of the intricate role of oxidative stress in cardiac disease and paving the way for the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

We look forward to receiving your significant contributions to this timely and important topic.

Dr. Marina Politi Okoshi
Dr. Elida Paula Benquique Ojopi
Dr. Luana Urbano Pagan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • oxidative stress
  • heart disease
  • cardiac remodeling
  • signaling pathways
  • remodeling
  • left ventricular dysfunction
  • heart failure
  • cardiovascular disease
  • myocardial damage

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 26699 KB  
Article
Limitations of Ferroptosis Inhibitors on the Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity
by Yun-Ji Cha, Sae-Bom Jeon, Chan Joo Lee, Hyeong-Jin Kim, Sun-Ho Lee, Hyoeun Kim, So Hee Park, Elaine Zhelan Chen, Jong Woo Kim, Sahng Wook Park, Chulan Kwon, Boyoung Joung, Eun-Woo Lee and Seunghyun Lee
Antioxidants 2026, 15(1), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15010027 - 24 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1908
Abstract
Doxorubicin is an anthracycline anticancer drug commonly used to treat lymphoma and breast cancer. Its major side effect is cardiotoxicity, which occurs by damaging cardiomyocytes. The mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity remain unclear; however, recent studies suggest that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of lipid [...] Read more.
Doxorubicin is an anthracycline anticancer drug commonly used to treat lymphoma and breast cancer. Its major side effect is cardiotoxicity, which occurs by damaging cardiomyocytes. The mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity remain unclear; however, recent studies suggest that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of lipid peroxidation-mediated cell death, may play a key role. In this study, we investigated the role of ferroptosis in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity using ferroptosis-specific inhibitors (ferrostatin-1 and liproxstatin-1). In both H9c2 cardiomyocyte cell lines and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, ferrostatin-1 and liproxstatin-1 rescued cell death induced by RSL3, a ferroptosis inducer, but failed to prevent doxorubicin-induced cell death. Additionally, the ferroptosis inhibitors did not restore the electrophysiological function of cardiomyocytes, measured using a multi-electrode array system, and instead slightly accelerated cardiomyocyte beating. Finally, doxorubicin-injected mice treated with ferroptosis inhibitors exhibited significantly reduced survival and increased levels of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, a biomarker of heart failure. These findings suggest that inhibiting ferroptosis alone is insufficient to mitigate doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Full article
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Review

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18 pages, 2365 KB  
Review
NRF2-Targeted Therapy in Cardiovascular Disease Transitions from Systemic Activation to Precision Redox Medicine
by Yizhao Peng, Jinhong Wei and Yang Yang
Antioxidants 2026, 15(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15020219 - 8 Feb 2026
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Abstract
The transcription factor Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (NRF2) governs cellular redox homeostasis and serves as a primary defense mechanism against oxidative stress-driven cardiac remodeling. Beyond basal antioxidant effects, NRF2 coordinates a broad defensive network that preserves mitochondrial bioenergetics, maintains proteostasis, and [...] Read more.
The transcription factor Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (NRF2) governs cellular redox homeostasis and serves as a primary defense mechanism against oxidative stress-driven cardiac remodeling. Beyond basal antioxidant effects, NRF2 coordinates a broad defensive network that preserves mitochondrial bioenergetics, maintains proteostasis, and inhibits regulated cell death pathways, including necroptosis and ferroptosis. Despite robust efficacy in preclinical models, translating these findings to the clinic remains challenging. This review examines the molecular structure of the NRF2-KEAP1 axis, synthesizing evidence regarding its efficacy in ischemia–reperfusion injury and diabetic cardiomyopathy, while assessing the mechanisms of pathway repression and the liabilities of indiscriminate activation. We further review different pharmacological strategies, contrasting the clinical limitations of electrophiles with the potential of protein–protein interaction inhibitors. Finally, we discuss innovations such as cardiac-targeted delivery and biomarker-guided stratification, critically assessing whether these approaches can overcome safety barriers and emphasizing that rigorous validation is essential for clinical viability. Full article
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