Antioxidants in Longevity and Medicine

Oxidative stress has emerged as a critical player in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of many diseases in experimental animal models and humans. The oxidative stress theory of aging emphasizes that a progressive and irreversible escalation of oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROSs) exerts severe influence on the critical aspects of the biology of aging and contributes to impaired physiological functions, increased incidence of diseases, and shortening of life span. The focus of this special issue is to identify avenues that affect both the life span and age-related diseases in humans. In order to accomplish this, experts in the field have contributed original research articles and reviews focusing on the current state of understanding of the molecular pathology of oxidative stress underlying the biology of aging and age-related diseases and development of strategies to alleviate or treat these conditions. S. Gazman-Beltran et al. demonstrate that a natural antioxidant, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) attenuates the oxidative stress-induced decrease of CD33 expression in human monocytes, which is decreased in diabetic patients under oxidative stress. The antioxidant mechanism of NDGA appears to be multifactorial and includes the increased availability of glutathione and activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), which is known to orchestrate antioxidative and cytoprotective responses to oxidative stress. NDGA appears to be an effective antioxidant to prevent chronic inflammation induced by monocytes.