Recommendations for Standardized Description of and Nomenclature Concerning Oxidatively Damaged Nucleobases in DNA

Abstract

Despite being a relatively young field, the study of oxidative stress has attracted huge interest. With the advent of simple and relatively inexpensive assays (sometimes from commercial suppliers), a growing number of groups have been able to assess oxidatively generated DNA damage in mammalian cells. While this is good for raising the profile of the field of oxidative stress research, it has led to an increasing number of issues when the work is written up for publication and included in grant applications. In particular, it is evident to experts in the field, editors and referees alike, that there is often uncertainty concerning what is appropriate and accurate terminology, when describing studies concerning the effects of oxidatively generated DNA damage. For this reason, we wish to raise a number of points for discussion, incorporating our recommendations on this subject. The aim is to support those embarking on studies involving oxidatively generated damage to DNA nucleobases and to produce greater uniformity across the field. We do not wish to be dogmatic, but to present a well-argued rationale for our recommendations.