Oxidation as The Stress of Life

Multiple biological consequences of oxidative stress are known to contribute to aging and aging-related pathologies. It was recently shown that (carboxyalkyl)pyrroles (CAPs), the end products of phospholipid oxidation serve as a novel class of endogenous ligands for Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and promote the process of angiogenesis. In this review, we discuss implications of these findings in the context of age-related pathologies, including tumorigenesis. Accumulation of oxidation products in tissues of aging organisms might create conditions for uncontrolled pathological angiogenesis as seen in patients with age related macular degeneration. CAPs and their receptors, TLRs might also promote the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Importantly, besides their role in a number of pathologies, oxidative products of phospholipids contribute to tissue repair processes thereby antagonizing the destructive effects of oxidation.