[Aldehyde dehydrogenases as therapeutic targets for oxidative stress management in pathological processes]

Cell damage due to lipid aldehydes accumulation has been associated with different chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, kidney disease, and some types of cancer. Therefore, there is a general interest in developing new strategies to deal with aldehyde accumulation. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) are a group of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of lipid aldehydes to carboxylic acids, avoiding the toxic effects of these molecules. Due to their relevant role in cellular aldehydes detoxification and the pathogenesis and progression of different diseases, various therapeutic strategies to cope with degenerative disorders have been proposed using ALDH as targets, by increasing the activity of these enzymes using activators or, in the case of cancer, by using inhibitors to interfere with cancer cells growth and their sensitization to therapies.