Redox Biology and Xenobiotic Exposure: New Frontiers in Environmental Toxicology

The field of environmental toxicology is increasingly focused on the pervasive impact of xenobiotics, which include pesticides, industrial chemicals, air pollutants, and pharmaceuticals. These substances pose escalating risks to human and ecosystem health as global exposure intensifies. Recent advances reveal that xenobiotics can disturb cellular redox equilibrium, inducing oxidative stress and disturbing crucial signaling networks. Redox biology, which investigates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, antioxidant systems, and redox-dependent pathways, provides pivotal mechanistic insight into how these toxic insults translate into disease.A growing body of evidence links xenobiotic-driven redox dysregulation to the onset and progression of pathophysiological conditions including atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiac dysfunction, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Despite such progress, toxicological evaluations often overlook the fundamental role of redox dynamics in disease pathogenesis, leaving critical gaps in our understanding of how environmental exposures contribute to the global burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, and in the identification of precise biomarkers and intervention strategies. This Research Topic aims to close this knowledge gap by illuminating how environmental xenobiotics interface with redox biology to drive toxicity across molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. It seeks to clarify the mechanistic pathways by which xenobiotics disrupt redox homeostasis, trigger adaptive or maladaptive responses, and lead to human health effects. Core objectives include fostering interdisciplinary research that bridges redox biochemistry, environmental health, and disease biology; exploring emerging paradigms in molecular toxicology with translational relevance; and identifying reliable biomarkers for exposure, disease risk, and therapeutic targeting. The initiative is designed to showcase both experimental and computational studies, as well as translational and methodological advances, and ultimately to set a foundation for innovative risk assessment and prevention strategies at the intersection of environmental exposure and cardiometabolic health.The scope of this Research Topic is tailored to integrate studies that dissect the complex interactions between xenobiotic exposure and redox regulation, with a deliberate emphasis on pathophysiological mechanisms relevant to cardiovascular and metabolic disease. It excludes subject areas that focus solely on either toxicology or redox biology without considering their intersection, or that lack a disease-relevant dimension. To gather further insights in this multidisciplinary domain, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Mechanistic studies of oxidative stress induced by environmental xenobiotics in cardiovascular and metabolic tissues• Redox-regulated signaling pathways underlying xenobiotic-driven cardiovascular pathology (e.g., endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, cardiac remodeling)• Xenobiotic-induced redox disruption as a driver of metabolic disease, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis• Discovery and validation of redox-related biomarkers for xenobiotic exposure and cardiometabolic disease risk• Translational and in vivo research linking environmental redox biology to disease onset and progression• Development and integration of novel cell-free and cell-based models relevant to cardiovascular or metabolic pathophysiology• Innovative methodologies and technologies for assessing redox disturbances in the context of disease-relevant toxicologyAppendix: Article types accepted under this Research Topic include original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and methodological papers. Topic editors: Fotios Tekos, Demetrios Kouretas, Zoi Skaperda, Khosrow Kashfi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79641/redox-biology-and-xenobiotic-exposure-new-frontiers-in-environmental-toxicology