Oxidative stress-based therapeutics in COPD

Oxidative stress is a major driving mechanism in the pathogenesis of COPD. There is increased oxidative stress in the lungs of COPD patients due to exogenous oxidants in cigarette smoke and air pollution and due to endogenous generation of reactive oxygen species by inflammatory and structural cells in the lung. Mitochondrial oxidative stress may be particularly important in COPD. There is also a reduction in antioxidant defences, with inactivation of several antioxidant enzymes and the transcription factors Nrf2 and FOXO that regulate multiple antioxidant genes. Increased systemic oxidative stress may exacerbate comorbidities and contribute to skeletal muscle weakness. Oxidative stress amplifies chronic…