Oxidative stress is linked to a variety of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Now Flinders University researchers are hoping to understand how proteins that are modified during oxidative stress may lead to new targets for therapeutic treatment of these diseases.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in our bodies. Detecting the biomarkers of oxidative stress will help us understand the molecular basis of diseases associated with this imbalance.

With the aid of a Flinders Foundation Health Seed Grant, Flinders University Senior Lecturer in Synthetic Chemistry Dr Justin Chalker will conduct research to identify proteins that are modified during oxidative stress and understand how these modifications are linked to cell signalling and disease.

The aim of Dr Chalker’s project is to provide new chemical tools for detecting cysteine sulfenic acid, a biomarker of oxidative stress. His research will provide a new tool to the biomedical community for studying protein oxidation. More generally, this knowledge could lead to new strategies in treating diseases linked to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is linked to a variety of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Project title: New tools for understanding protein sulfenylation during oxidative stress.

Lead researcher: Dr Justin Chalker