Lecture 21 Pentose Phosphate Pathway Flashcards Quizlet Pentose Phosphate Pathway made simple. This pathway has two major jobs: Generate NADPH Produce ribose 5 phosphate NADPH protects cells from oxidative stress and supports fatty acid, cholesterol, steroid, nitric oxide, and respiratory burst Pentose Phosphate Pathway and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate HMP also known as the Pentose phosphate pathway. Consists of two irreversible oxidative rxs followed by a series of reversible A metabolic switch to the pentose phosphate pathway induces radiation resistance in pancreatic cancer Radiotherapy and Oncology