Background

The research of Bioredox is focussed on all processes which are related to oxidative stress. Under several pathophysiological conditions the balance between oxidation and reduction within the organism is disturbed. Cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, stroke, infarct, acute and chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative disease (e.g. Alzheimer), AIDS, ALS, Diabetes and ageing are prominent examples for oxidative stress related processes.

The disturbed redox balance causes formation of reactive species, e.g. radicals, which may be harmful to biomolecules. One of the most interesting reactive species formed in vivo is peroxynitrite (ONOO-) formed from superoxide and nitric oxide. One of the most characteristic reactions of this molecule is the nitration of tyrosine residues within proteins. There are also many other oxidants (hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, hypochlorite etc.) which cause lipid peroxidation, DNA strand breaks as well as modifications and inactivation of proteins (e.g. sulfoxidation or disulfide formation). Our studies are focussed on the oxidative damage caused by peroxynitrite, since it turned out that it has a major impact on vascular dysfunction by nitration and inactivation of prostacyclin synthase.