Systemic oxidative stress

Systemic oxidative stress refers to a state in which the body's production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and related free radicals surpasses the antioxidant defense capacity, leading to cellular and tissue damage[1][7][5]. ROS are continuously produced during normal metabolism and have important signaling and immune functions, but excessive ROS can oxidize and damage DNA, proteins, and lipids, and may contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and aging-related disorders[1][7][5][4]. Antioxidant defense mechanisms—including enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and non-enzymatic small molecules (such as glutathione, vitamins C and E)—work to neutralize ROS and maintain redox balance[6][4]. Systemic oxidative stress is best understood as a pathogenic condition or a biological process, not as a specific therapeutic target or molecular entity. No drugs interact directly with "systemic oxidative stress" as a target, but rather modulate upstream/downstream pathways[5][6][4]. Because "Systemic oxidative stress" is not a protein, receptor, gene, or canonical drug target but rather a complex physiological state/process, it should not be classified as a molecular target for structured therapeutic targeting; this makes is_target: false and is_incorrect: true under typical molecular pharmacology frameworks.

Other names

oxidative stressredox imbalancesystemic ROS imbalancesystemic redox stress

ROS scavenging; Enhancement of endogenous antioxidant capacity; Inhibition of free radical production; Modulation of signaling pathways affected by ROS