For our fourth episode we will talk about a special system that is very important for protecting the organism against stress: the NRF2 transcription factor. It is the master regulator of the stress response, which is responsible for increasing the expression of a long list of genes that help to combat stress and restore cellular homeostasis. Interestingly, NRF2 is activated by stressful stimuli but also by plant-derived natural compounds, showing how nature has evolved to harness the power of plants to provide benefits for our body. In opposition to its fundamental role in protection, NRF2 also has a dark side in the context of cancer, since its overactivation in cancerous cells renders them stronger and more resistant to drugs that aim to kill them.

Today we welcome Dr Albena Dinkova-Kostova, a researcher that has greatly contributed to understanding the detailed mechanisms underlying NRF2 activation by different stimuli and is actively engaged in examining the role of NRF2 in metabolism and cancer.