Is Carnosine a Naturally Occurring Suppressor of Oxidative Damage in Olfactory Neurones?

Ghanbari et al. recently showed that neurones from olfactory lobes of Alzheimer's patients exhibit oxidative stress and it is well known that olfactory dysfunction frequently accompanies neurodegeneration. The olfactory lobe is normally enriched in carnosine, a relatively non-toxic (and sometimes abundant) dipeptide which possesses functions (anti-oxidant, antiglycator, scavenger of zinc and copper ions, toxic aldehydes and protein carbonyls) that are likely to suppress oxidative stress. It is suggested that carnosine's therapeutic potential should be explored in olfactory tissue. Should the peptide prove beneficial, olfactory carnosine administration could provide a direct route to compromised tissue, avoiding serum carnosinases.