General antioxidant and redox-related enzymes

General antioxidant and redox-related enzymes represent a broad class of proteins, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the thioredoxin system, which are essential for maintaining cellular redox balance. These enzymes neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), thereby protecting cellular components such as DNA, lipids, and proteins from oxidative damage (Halliwell & Gutteridge, 2015). Dysregulation of these enzymes is linked to the pathogenesis of numerous conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, cardiovascular diseases, and various cancers (Sies et al., 2017). In therapeutic contexts, these enzymes are targeted either to bolster antioxidant defenses in chronic inflammatory states or to be inhibited in cancer cells to induce oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis (Trachootham et al., 2009). Because ROS also function as secondary messengers in signaling pathways, pharmacological intervention must carefully balance the prevention of damage with the maintenance of essential physiological signaling (Forman & Zhang, 2021).

Other names

Antioxidant enzymesRedox-regulating enzymesROS-scavenging enzymesOxidoreductasesEndogenous antioxidant system

These enzymes function by catalyzing the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) into less reactive molecules or by maintaining the cellular pool of antioxidants like glutathione and thioredoxin to prevent oxidative damage to cellular structures (Forman & Zhang, 2021).