Therapeutic potentials of superoxide dismutase.

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) constitute a very important antioxidant defense against oxidative stress in the body. The enzyme acts as a good therapeutic agent against reactive oxygen species-mediated diseases. The present review describes the therapeutic effects of SOD in various physiological and pathological conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, cystic fibrosis, ischemia, aging, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. However, the enzyme has certain limitations in clinical applications. Therefore, SOD conjugates and mimetics have been developed to increase its therapeutic efficiency. Here, an overview is provided of some in vivo therapeutic effects observed with SOD.