Therapeutic Potential of Superoxide Dismutase Fused with Cell-Penetrating Peptides in Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a well-known cellular antioxidant enzyme. However, exogenous SOD cannot be used to protect tissues from oxidative damage due to the low permeability of the cell membrane. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a class of short peptides that can cross the cell membrane. Recombinant fusion protein that fuses SOD protein with CPP (CPP-SOD) can cross various tissues and organs as well as the blood-brain barrier. CPP-SODs can relieve severe oxidative damage in various tissues caused by radiation, ischemia, inflammation, and chemotherapy by clearing the reactive oxygen species, reducing the expression of inflammatory factors, and inhibiting NF-kappa B/MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, the clinical application of CPP-SODs provides new therapeutic strategies for a variety of oxidative stress-related disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, obesity, cardiac fibrosis, and premature aging.

Automated summary

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme that cannot effectively protect tissues from oxidative damage. However, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) can cross the cell membrane and when fused with SOD protein, forming a recombinant fusion protein (CPP-SOD), can penetrate various tissues and organs as well as the blood-brain barrier. CPP-SODs can alleviate severe oxidative damage in different tissues caused by radiation, ischemia, inflammation, and chemotherapy.