Lipid membranes and oxidative stress-related targets

Lipid membranes and oxidative stress-related targets represent a broad category of structural and enzymatic components involved in maintaining cellular redox balance. The lipid bilayer is highly susceptible to oxidative damage through lipid peroxidation, a process where reactive oxygen species (ROS) abstract hydrogens from polyunsaturated fatty acids, leading to membrane instability [1]. This process generates reactive aldehydes like 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which can further damage proteins and DNA, ultimately triggering programmed cell death or necrosis [2]. Key enzymatic targets within this category include NADPH oxidases (NOX), which produce ROS, and the glutathione system, which serves to detoxify them [3]. Pharmacological strategies focus on scavenging free radicals, inhibiting lipid-peroxidizing enzymes, or providing exogenous antioxidants to stabilize membrane fluidity and prevent structural degradation [4]. These targets are central to the pathology of conditions such as atherosclerosis, stroke, and neurodegeneration, where chronic oxidative damage to membranes is a hallmark [5]. Despite their therapeutic potential, targeting these pathways is complex because ROS also function as essential signaling molecules in immune response and cell differentiation [6]. (Citations: [1] Halliwell B, Gutteridge JM. Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. Oxford University Press; [2] Gaschler MM, Stockwell BR. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017; [3] Sies H. Redox Biology. 2015; [4] Niki E. Free Radic Biol Med. 2014; [5] Forman HJ, Zhang H. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 2021; [6] Ursini F, et al. Free Radic Biol Med. 2016)

Other names

Cellular lipid bilayersOxidative stress mediatorsRedox-sensitive membrane componentsLipid peroxidation pathways

Neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibition of lipid peroxidation chain reactions, and stabilization of the lipid bilayer to prevent structural degradation and maintain membrane fluidity.