Department of Redox Molecular Medicine,
Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

Supersulfide Biology: New Frontiers in Redox Molecular Medicine

Life has evolved to utilize oxygen for efficient energy metabolism, enabling complex biological functions. However, oxygen metabolism inevitably generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). While ROS can cause oxidative damage to biomolecules, they are also recognized as important signaling molecules that regulate diverse cellular processes. In living systems, the balance between the production and elimination of ROS is tightly controlled. Disruption of this redox balance leads to oxidative stress, which contributes to the development of many diseases.
Recent studies have expanded the concept of redox regulation beyond ROS to include reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive sulfur species (RSS). Among these, cysteine persulfides and polysulfides—collectively referred to as supersulfides—have emerged as endogenous bioactive sulfur species with strong nucleophilic and antioxidant properties (Ida et al., PNAS, 2014; Akaike et al., Nat Commun, 2017; Matsunaga et al., Nat Commun, 2023). Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of redox regulation centered on supersulfides and aims to establish a new framework for redox biology and medicine.
Redox regulation is a fundamental principle of biological systems, and its dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of many diseases. Supersulfides represent a previously underappreciated class of bioactive molecules that provide a new perspective on redox biology.
Our laboratory aims to integrate the chemistry, biosynthesis, metabolism, and physiological roles of supersulfides to advance redox molecular medicine and open new directions in life science and biomedical research.

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