Pathological consequences of drug abuse: implication of redox imbalance. Editorial

Abstract

The onset, progression, and outcome of numerous pathological conditions, affecting different organs and systems, have been widely reported to be significantly impacted by the abuse of psychoactive compounds. In the last decades, preclinical and clinical reports have contributed to a lively scientific debate on the possible pathogenic role that redox imbalance, defined as a disequilibrium between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating and degrading systems, plays in this scenario [1]. Moreover, increasing interest has focused on the possibility that enhanced ROS production or decreased antioxidant defenses in different body compartments, such as the blood, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory apparatuses may represent reliable biomarkers that will enable the detection of both the early phases of drug abuse-associated complications and the response to pharmacological treatments