Biosensor For Measuring Stress In Cells

19 May 2008

Cancer, nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disorders and old age have one thing in common: Both in afflicted tissue and in aging cells, scientists have observed oxidative changes in important biomolecules. These are caused by reactive oxygen molecules, including the notorious "free radicals" that are formed as a by-product of cellular respiration and attack cellular proteins, nucleic and fatty acids.

Today, reactive oxygen molecules are no longer regarded by and large as culprits, since it has turned out that they are also involved in regulating major life processes such as growth and cell death. The right balance between oxidation and the reverse reaction, reduction, makes the difference between health and disease. "Oxidative stress" arises when this balance shifts towards oxidation-promoting processes.

So far, it has hardly been possible for scientists to measure the level of oxidation and, thus, the stress status of living cells. This will now be feasible thanks to a highly sensitive biomarker presented in the journal Nature Methods by Dr. Tobias ****/a formal NAME and co-workers of the German Cancer Research Center, jointly with colleagues from the University of Heidelberg.

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