Superoxide Dismutase (SOD): The Body’s Powerful Antioxidant Defence System

The Fundamental Role in Cellular Protection

Superoxide dismutase is one of the most important antioxidant enzymes produced in the body which is involved in combating oxidative stress. This superoxide radicals excellent (O2•-) catalyses the conversion of superoxide radicals (O2•-) into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and molecular oxygen (O2). Therefore, SOD is one of the enzymes that counteract one of the most dangerous reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is formed during cellular metabolism. It is present in almost all the cells of an organism and plays a very significant role in preventing the oxidative damage to the cell components that could otherwise occur and result in several diseases as well as aging.

Types and Distribution in Living Systems

There are three forms of SOD which are found in the mammals other and in each it’s of properties them and is location. SOD1 also called Cu/Zn-SOD is located in the cytosol and is made up of copper and zinc. SOD2, otherwise known as Mn-SOD is located in the mitochondrial matrix and the metal that it uses is manganese. The last one is SOD3, which is also called extracellular SOD (EC-SOD) and it is localized in the extracellular region, similar to SOD1, but it contains copper and zinc as well. This way the free radicals are neutralized in various cellular locations and tissues, hence the protective mechanism is extensive.

Mechanisms of Action and Cellular Protection

The mechanism of action of SOD is also a two-step process in which the enzyme fluctuates between reducing and oxidising the superoxide anion to thereby disable it. In this process the metal cofactor at the active site of the enzyme moves between the oxidized and the reduced forms thus catalysing the reduction of two superoxide ions to form hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. This reaction takes place at a very rapid rate, and it is almost equal to the diffusion rate, so SOD is considered as one of the most effective enzymes. The formed hydrogen peroxide, although dangerous, can be neutralized by other antioxidants like catalase and glutathione peroxidase to end the antioxidative protection.

Clinical Significance and Disease Association

Dysregulation of SOD function or expression has been found to be involved in the development of various diseases thus emphasizing its significance in the maintenance of human health. Defects in the SOD1 gene is caused by familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a fatal disease. It has been suggested that the level of SOD is low in such diseases as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Furthermore, oxidative stress due to decreased SOD activity is also involved in the processes of aging and the appearance diseases. of These age-related findings have resulted to the increasing concern on the therapeutic management of SOD activity or development of SOD mimetics for disease treatment.

Therapeutic Applications and Future Perspectives

Due to the possibility of the therapeutic use of SOD, a lot of research has been conducted on the uses of SOD in medicine and healthcare. When given directly SOD has been found to be effective against conditions like inflammation, ischaemia/reperfusion injury and radiation damage. However, issues like instability and low cellular uptake have motivated the creation of SOD mimetics, that are man-made substances that provide an SOD-like protection against oxidative damage. These mimetics have benefits that include: enhanced stability, enhanced tissue targeting and enhanced bioavailability.

Suitable ELISA Kits

• • Superoxide Dismutase ELISA Kit