Dear Colleagues,

Despite the huge progress in the molecular and metabolomic research on the pathogenesis and development of novel treatment modalities, bowel diseases still pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Owing to the constant exposure to diet-derived oxidants and microbial signals, and the resulting generation of reactive oxygen, nitrogen, and halogenated species (RONS), bowel is particularly susceptible to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of bowel diseases, including colorectal cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, diverticular disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. However, it is still unclear whether the alterations in prooxidant–antioxidant balance have a primary or secondary character. However, there is a growing awareness that the involvement of oxidative stress in pathology goes beyond damage to macromolecules, and the contribution of RONS-mediated signaling is increasingly recognized. Moreover, the oxidative-stress-mediated loss of intestinal barrier integrity allows microorganisms or their toxins and antigens to enter the circulation and affect distant organs. This phenomenon, referred to as “leaky gut”, is now considered to contribute to pathogenesis and/or to exacerbate multiple autoimmune diseases, including but not limited to systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

This Special Issue of Antioxidants aims to give visibility to studies which can increase our knowledge on prooxidants, antioxidants, and their imbalance in bowel diseases at every stage of disease history, and on their possible diagnostic and therapeutic application.

We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Małgorzata Krzystek-Korpacka
Dr. Katarzyna Neubauer
Guest Editors

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• inflammatory bowel disease
• diverticular disease
• irritable bowel syndrome
• colorectal cancer
• mucosal healing
• reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS, RNS)
• ROS-mediated signal transduction
• microbiome
• nutrition
• biomarkers