Oxidative stress in Alzheimer disease: A possibility for prevention

• Published in: Neuropharmacology Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 290 - 294
• Main Authors: Bonda, David J., Wang, Xinglong, Perry, George, Nunomura, Akihiko, Tabaton, Massimo, Zhu, Xiongwei, Smith, Mark A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2010
• Subjects: Alzheimer disease; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - prevention & control; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Coenzyme Q; Dimebon; Humans; Mitochondria - drug effects; Mitochondria - metabolism; Mitochondrial antioxidants; MitoQ; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Reactive oxidative species; Reactive Oxygen Species - antagonists & inhibitors; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Ubiquinone - metabolism; Antioxidants; Reactive oxidative species; Oxidative stress; MitoQ; Alzheimer disease; Mitochondrial antioxidants; Dimebon; Coenzyme Q
• ISSN: 0028-3908; 1873-7064; 1873-7064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.04.005

Oxidative stress is at the forefront of Alzheimer disease (AD) research. While its implications in the characteristic neurodegeneration of AD are vast, the most important aspect is that it seems increasingly apparent that oxidative stress is in fact a primary progenitor of the disease, and not merely an epiphenomenon. Moreover, evidence indicates that a long “dormant period” of gradual oxidative damage accumulation precedes and actually leads to the seemingly sudden appearance of clinical and pathological AD symptoms, including amyloid-β deposition, neurofibrillary tangle formation, metabolic dysfunction, and cognitive decline. These findings provide important insights into the development of potential treatment regimens and even allude to the possibility of a preventative cure. In this review, we elaborate on the dynamic role of oxidative stress in AD and present corresponding treatment strategies that are currently under investigation.