Abstract
Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated as significant for cancer survival by functioning as oncogene activators and secondary messengers. Hence, the attenuation of ROS-signaling pathways in cancer by antioxidants seems a suitable therapeutic regime for targeting cancers. Low molecular weight (LMW) antioxidants such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), although they are catalytically effective in vitro, exerts off-target effects in vivo due to their size, thus, limiting their clinical use. Here, we discuss the superior impacts of our TEMPO radical-conjugated self-assembling antioxidant nanoparticle (RNP) compared to the LMW counterpart in terms of pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effect, and adverse effects in various cancer models.