Neurodegenerative Diseases and Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the progression of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Oxygen is vital for living organisms but is also potentially dangerous and a complex balanced system exists for utilizing it. Oxidative stress (OS) is the result of an imbalance in pro-oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis that leads to the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species. The systems in place to regulate the biochemistry of oxygen are complex and not very well known.