Role of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Neurodegenerative disorders that affect both the central nervous system (CNS) and  the peripheral nervous system (PNS), including Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), retinopathies, spinal cord illnesses, and peripheral neuropathies, are among the most significant challenges to global health worldwide, with a growing number of patients and an increasing demand for therapies aimed at preventing or treating these maladies. All these pathologies share as a common feature an impairment of the cellular redox homeostasis. This alteration is mainly due to an imbalance between the levels of pro-oxidant reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNS and ROS) and the antioxidant defenses of the cells. The high oxygen demand and lipid-rich environment of the nervous system make it particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage. ROS and RNS accumulation deleteriously affects neurons, glia, leucocytes, vessel wall cells, myelin, and the extracellular matrix, leading to cell death, extra- and intracellular accumulation of misfolded proteins, metabolic perturbations, synaptic dysfunction, blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage, glymphatic system failure, and hyperactivation of inflammatory responses—all events that contribute to the neurodegenerative process. Based on this, the administration of antioxidant molecules has been receiving attention as a promising strategy for curing neurodegenerative diseases. This class of compounds comprises a diverse range of chemical species, both of natural and synthetic origin, able to act not only as canonical antioxidants but also as key modulators of important signaling pathways involved in the regulation of cell redox balance, as well as viability, metabolism, protein processing, and inflammation.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Antioxidants is to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in our understanding of the primary role played by oxidant and antioxidant species in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as to present recent developments in the application of antioxidants for the clinical management neurodegenerative disorders. To this end, we are calling for reviews and original contributions on this important topic.

Dr. Barbara Sottero
Guest Editor

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