How Gas Molecules in Your Body Control Cell Death and Disease

Authors
Journal
Experimental Cell Research
Year
DOI
10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114233
Study Type
clinical
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
China
Health Condition
Cardiovascular Disease
Body System
Cardiovascular

TL;DR

Scientists found that special gases our bodies make naturally can control how cells die in unhealthy ways, and understanding this could help us treat diseases like heart problems, brain disease, and infections.

Key Finding

__no_content__

Summary

This scientific review examined how gasotransmitters - naturally occurring gas molecules including nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide - regulate necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death. These molecules can freely move through cell membranes and send signals between cells. Researchers found that gasotransmitters play significant roles in various diseases including cardiovascular conditions, inflammation, stroke, infections, and neurological disorders. The mechanisms by which these gas molecules control cell death are not fully understood, but this research suggests they could serve as new therapeutic targets for treating diseases associated with abnormal cell death pathways.

Abstract

Gasotransmitters are endogenous gaseous signaling molecules that can freely pass through cell membranes and transmit signals between cells, playing multiple roles in cell signal transduction. Due to extensive and ongoing research in this field, we have successfully identified many gasotransmitters so far, among which nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide are best studied. Gasotransmitters are implicated in various diseases related to necroptosis, such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, ischemia-reperfusion, infectious diseases, and neurological diseases. However, the mechanisms of their effects on necroptosis are not fully understood. This review focuses on endogenous gasotransmitter synthesis and metabolism and discusses their roles in necroptosis, aiming to offer new insights for the therapeutic approaches to necroptosis-associated diseases.