Oxidative Stress and Lung Diseases: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications
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 January 2026 | Viewed by 17
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cancer; tissue fibrosis; microbiome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Oxidative stress, characterized by an imbalance between reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and antioxidant defenses, is a key driver in the pathogenesis of various lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and acute lung injury. ROS originate from external exposures, such as cigarette smoke, air pollutants, and ozone, as well as endogenous production by mitochondria, NADPH oxidases, and activated inflammatory cells. These reactive species inflict redox-dependent damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA, thereby triggering epithelial injury, inflammation, tissue remodeling, cellular senescence, impaired autophagy, and DNA repair mechanisms.
In COPD, elevated oxidative stress is reflected by increased exhaled markers, such as 8-isoprostane and hydrogen peroxide. Concurrently, reduced antioxidant capacity, including glutathione depletion, has been associated with mucus hypersecretion, corticosteroid resistance (via HDAC2 inhibition), and disease progression. Similar redox imbalances are involved in asthma-related airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness, as well as fibrotic remodeling in interstitial lung diseases. While antioxidant therapies, such as Nrf2 activators, NOX inhibitors, mitochondrial-targeted compounds, and glutathione precursors, offer therapeutic promise, clinical outcomes have been inconsistent, underscoring the need for more precise redox-based interventions.
This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality research and review articles that elucidate the mechanistic role of oxidative stress in both acute and chronic lung diseases, including, but not limited to, COPD, interstitial lung disease, lung fibrosis, bronchial asthma, acute lung injury, and lung cancer. We particularly encourage submissions that explore novel biomarkers, redox signaling pathways, and antioxidant-based therapeutic strategies to bridge the gap between experimental findings and clinical applications.
Prof. Dr. Esteban C. Gabazza
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- COPD
- lung cancer
- pulmonary fibrosis
- oxidative stress
- antioxidant therapies
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