The Underlying Role of Oxidative Stress in Neurodegeneration: A Mechanistic Review

Background: Neurodegeneration is a condition in which progressive loss of function and structure of neurons occurs. Several lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress has a central role in neurodegenerative diseases. Objective: The aim was to survey molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of oxidative stress in developing different neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: Original and review articles were retrieved through a PubMed and Google scholar search (from 1989 to 2015) using the following key words: oxidative stress, nerve degeneration and neurodegenerative diseases. Results: A comprehensive analysis of the obtained articles confirmed strong involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases through a variety of mechanisms including induction of oxidation of nucleic acids, proteins and lipids, formation of advanced glycation end products, mitochondrial dysfunction, glial cell activation, amyloid beta deposition and plaque formation, apoptosis, cytokine production and inflammatory responses, and proteasome dysfunction. Conclusion: Regarding the pivotal role of oxidative stress in neurodegeneration, modulation of free radical production or alleviating their harmful effects can be considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing and controlling neurodegenerative diseases. Accordingly; boosting endogenous antioxidant capacity besides providing exogenous sources of antioxidants merits future research in order to discover new therapeutic agents.