The Role of ROS and Its Sources in Tumorigenesis: Friend or Foe?

Ponicidin has demonstrated effectiveness against HCC by promoting mitochondria apoptosis and generating ROS through the stabilization of the Keap1-PGAM5 complex. However, ROS can exhibit both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing activities in cancers, and exhibit different effects depending on its source-mtROS vs non-mtROS. Additionally, since ROS from different sources possesses distinct functions, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, and non-targeted antioxidants may have entirely different effects on cancer progression. To address this complexity, novel measurement techniques such as MitoSOX, MitoPY1, and siDMA are used to specifically assess mtROS, providing deeper insights into mitochondrial function during treatment. Therefore, distinguishing the sources of ROS and separately detecting and targeting mtROS and non-mtROS can further clarify the anti-tumor mechanisms of ponicidin and provide a foundation for subsequent research.