A three-day international conference on “Recent trends in therapeutic advancements of free radical science” [Society for Free Radical Research (SFRR)-India 2011] was held at Hotel Savera, Chennai, India from January 09–11, 2011. The conference was organized as a part of the 10th annual meeting of SFRR-India by Bharathi Women’s College (Chennai, India) in collaboration with Molecular cardiology and Angiogenesis laboratory, University of Connecticut, USA. The SFRR 2011 highlighted cutting-edge advances in all major disciplines of Free Radical Research Therapy. This 3-day event featured recent findings from leading industrial, clinical and academic experts in the field, in the form of lectures and posters. The conference was patronized by top delegates and the advisory committee of the conference includes eminent scientists.
The SFRR 2011 provided a forum for in-depth assessment of the challenges involved in the dynamic and fast moving fields of free radical research, drug discovery and therapy. Leading clinicians, medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, biotechnologists, and other allied professionals discussed and presented the latest important developments in free radical research. Various scientists from both US and India have participated in this conference. Two-fifty students and 100 research scholars participated in this conference. More than 40 renowned scientific researchers in free radical biology and medicine from overseas including Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Taiwan, UK and USA along with more than 250 from India attended the meeting to deliver their research findings and share their research experiences.
The main topics covered were: aging, antioxidants and novel therapeutics, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chemistry and reaction mechanism, Diabetes-metabolic syndrome, generation and action of reactive species, herbal antioxidant and neutraceuticals, Inflammation and immunity, Neuroscience, nitric oxide and its interaction, nutrition and health, oxidation of macromolecules, pulmonary diseases, radio protectors and radio sensitizers, signal transduction and gene expression, resveratrol symposium. These topics were presented as: keynote lecture, plenary lectures, invited lectures, oral and poster presentations.
Free radical reactions are ubiquitous in living things. A deep insight study into many diseases has revealed the involvement of free radicals in the pathophysiology of almost all the disorders. Studies on the therapeutic advancement of free radical science will provide a reasonable explanation for the prominent presence of this unruly class of chemical reactions. These reactions have been implicated in disease and aging. Future significant increases in the average healthy life span in the developed countries can only be achieved by slowing the rate of damage produced by the free radicals. Support for the possibility that free radical reactions are responsible for the disease and aging process now includes: (i) studies on the origin of life and evolution; (ii) studies on the effect of ionizing radiation on living things; (iii) dietary manipulations of endogenous free radical reactions; (iv) the plausible explanations it provides for various disease phenomena; and (v) the growing numbers of studies that implicate free radical reactions in the pathogenesis of specific diseases. It is reasonable to expect on the basis of present data, that the average life expectancy at birth can be increased by 5 or more years by nutritious low-caloric diets supplemented with one or more free radical reaction inhibitors. This area of research should be encouraged; students and researcher should share their knowledge and idea in this area.
Formulation of mechanisms to control oxidative damage and treatment of diseases by antioxidants and natural products is a fast emerging field. The present conference highlighted the various advancements made in the methodologies and applications of antioxidants in FR research. This conference was a platform for sharing efficient research outputs on various aspects of free radical research, antioxidants and natural products and radioprotectants.
This special issue highlights on few excerpts from the conference focusing on the recent contribution in the area of free radical research, implications of oxidative stress in various disease processes with an antioxidant based therapeutic approach. This issue contains 10 peer-reviewed research contributions, including five reviews and five original articles of which two research articles focuses on the role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease, a review focus on the versatile functions of reactive oxygen species (ROS); two research article focuses on the importance of antioxidant defense in pulmonary disease.
Yet et al. reviewed on the concepts of environmental pollution induced lung damage with emphasis on smoking injury. The review also deals in analysing the role of HO-1 in the defense of lung injury.
Maulik et al. reviewed on the complications related with diabetes and cardiomyopathy. The review also discusses how hyperglycemia has been recognized as the primary cause in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease and other complications. It also discusses about acute changes in the inflammatory and intracellular metabolism related to diabetes and heart disease.
Dr. Ramasarma has presented a detailed review on the beneficial and harmful role of H2O2 a versatile ROS molecule in different systems. He has also highlighted the concepts of diperoxovanadate as a substitute for H2O2 in many vital functions.
Sen-Banerjee et al. reviewed on the role of prolyl hydroxylase in cardiovascular disease. This review provides in-depth analysis of the regulatory role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in cardiomyocytes.
Dr. S.K. Maulik has written a descriptive review focusing on the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant in cardiac hypertrophy. The review has also emphasized the role of MAPK and NFκB in the disease.
Padmini et al. has presented an original research article, elucidating the role of preeclamptic stress in altering endothelial cell signal transduction mechanism as a defensive strategy.
Das et al. has presented an original research article. They examined the effects of long-term ethanol consumption on cell death, oxidative stress, and angiogenesis in rat livers. Their results show that prolonged ethanol consumption is associated with increased oxidative stress, activation of MMPs, fibrosis and angiogenesis.
Patel et al. has presented an original research article highlighting on the importance of a novel antioxidant, N-N′bis-2-mercaptoethyl isophthalamide, in managing pulmonary fibrosis.
Nalini and Aranganathan presented original research article and suggested interesting property of hesperitin. They documented its anti cancer properties via inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis. The authors also claim the anti-angiogenic potency of hesperitin during therapeutic intervention against cancer.
Das and Mukherjee, has presented an original article. The authors examined the efficacy of silymarin on the immunomodulatory activity and vascular function in mice. The authors documented that ethanol exposure significantly increased oxidative stress and significantly reduced antioxidative activity which was altered by silymarin treatment. We hope this special issue will enlighten the reader’s knowledge in free radical biology, oxidative stress, toxicologic profile and therapeutic potential of antioxidants.
Guest Editors
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge our gratitude to all the authors, reviewers, editors and staff of “Informa Healthcare” editorial office for their support and cooperation which made this special issue possible. Special thanks to Dr. Rakesh Dixit.