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Abstract
The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a hallmark of fibrosis and cancer. In fibrosis, the release of ROS along with secretion of pro-fibrotic cytokines by the immune cells during the inflammatory phase has been known to promote the activation of fibroblasts and induce collagen deposition. In cancer, ROS also plays a crucial role in various signaling cascades involved in cellular survival, proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, angiogenesis, as well as metastasis. However, the results from clinical studies involving antioxidant therapies in patients have been disappointing, mostly due to the low bioavailability of the conventional antioxidant therapies.