University of Utah chemists discover how bicarbonate can protect cells from oxidative stress in a study that challenges how cell damage has been studied for decades.
University of Utah chemists discover how bicarbonate can protect cells from oxidative stress in a study that challenges how cell damage has been studied for decades.
The cells in our bodies are like bustling cities, running on an iron-powered system that uses hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) not just for cleaning up messes but also for sending critical signals. Normally, this works fine, but under stress, such as inflammation or a burst of energy use, oxidative stress damages cells at the genetic level.
This is because iron and H₂O₂ react in what’s known as the Fenton reaction, producing hydroxyl radicals, destructive molecules that attack DNA and RNA indiscriminately. But there’s a catch. In the presence of carbon dioxide—that pesky gas disrupting global climate systems—our cells gain a secret weapon in the form of bicarbonate which helps keep pH levels balanced.
A team of University of Utah chemists has discovered that bicarbonate doesn’t just act as a pH buffer but also alters the Fenton reaction itself in cells. Instead of producing chaotic hydroxyl radicals, the reaction instead makes carbonate radicals, which affect DNA in a far less harmful way, according to Cynthia Burrows, a distinguished professor of chemistry and senior author of a study published this week in PNAS.
Read more at University of Utah
Image: University of Utah chemistry professor Cynthia Burrows. (Credit: University of Utah)
