Non-coding RNAs and Oxidative Stress Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance between the production and elimination of oxidative agents by antioxidants, often the result of the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species during pathologic events such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and several age-related conditions. Image Credit: Adao/Shutterstock.com Reactive oxygen species are free radicals and can damage local cell components by electron transfer, changing the redox state of proteins and rendering them useless, altering the signaling pathways of the cell, or directly destroying DNA or membrane components. Oxidative stress also induces the expression of several transcription factors that go on to cause a signaling cascade, activating hundreds of genes associated with growth, immune response, and cell cycle transition.