NADPH oxidases in immunometabolism and disease pathology: mechanistic networks, pollutant triggers, and therapeutic frontiers

Abstract NADPH oxidases (NOXs) have emerged as central hubs that link environmental, metabolic, and immune cues through spatially organized redox signaling. However, their roles across tissues and disease states have not been comprehensively evaluated in an integrated manner. This review integrates recent advances in structural biology, immunometabolism, toxicology, and systems biology to provide an updated, comprehensive, and accessible view of NOX biology. Recent advances in high‑resolution cryo-EM, AlphaFold‑based modeling and molecular dynamics studies have provided new insights into NOX architecture, catalytic sites, post‑translational modifications and regulatory mechanisms, and docking interfaces for RAC1 and p47 phox . Emerging evidence further indicates that cellular NOX-derived ROS can reprogram macrophage and T-cell metabolism, stabilize HIF-1α, and tune the balance between effector and regulatory states, thereby linking NOX activity to checkpoint control and tumor immune escape. A second focus is on how real‑world pollutants converge on NOX isoforms as proximal mediators of redox signaling across lung, vascular, hepatic, renal, and neural tissues. NOX activation during cellular injury may contribute to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammasome activation, and fibrotic signaling, through extracellular vesicles, lipid rafts, and noncoding RNAs. Finally, the review evaluates emerging therapeutic strategies, including isoform-selective/pan-NOX/peptide inhibitors, and nanozymes. It also discusses emerging approaches such as exosome-based biomarkers, network pharmacology, and machine learning for patient stratification and pharmacodynamic monitoring. By highlighting key mechanistic gaps and translational opportunities, this review establishes NOXs as actionable nodal regulators at the intersection of immunity, metabolism, environmental exposure, and human disease.